Phantom's Crown: Crusade - Redux
by SDproductions
Summary: The Pokémon League has been overthrown, and a man has settled himself as the King. He rules with fear, invoking terror among the commonsfolk. The leading resistance group calls for you to aid in their cause. Will you answer? Or will you defend the Crown? Choose wisely, or have your choice made for you - neither is very pleasant. Welcome to the Crusade. Medieval/Dystopian AU, OCs.
1. Foreword

_A/N:_

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Uh, this is awkward. I suppose I should begin everything with a simple explanation._

 _[Inserts simple explanation]_

 _There, that'll work- pffthaha, who am I kidding?_

 _So basically, earlier this year, I had the pleasure of getting to know the fabulous writer Skittlinq through her supremely awesome SYOC fic, 'Phantom's Crown: Crusade' - yes, I know, same title, but I implore you to read on, all will be explained in due time. Anyhow, all was fine and dandy, and I immensely enjoyed every chapter. I was then promoted to become her beta-reader, a job I enjoyed immensely, because I then got the privilege to brainstorm ideas with her for the next upcoming chapters of PC:C, and have long, deep, meaningful conversations on whatever was on our minds._

 _And then Skitt had to leave FF to focus on her examinations. I don't blame her; I'd struggle on exams myself, but idgaf and all that, so...yeah. I care way too little for myself sometimes._

 _Anyways, amidst the solemn farewells, the two of us agreed to let me take over PC:C in her stride; I saw too much potential in this story to let it off my mind, and so here I am. I'm writing/adapting/flat-out transferring/making up stuff as I go along with this story, and am using the pre-made OCs that were already submitted in advance to her story, so technically, this story is a standalone story, to be enjoyed with or without the knowledge that most, if not all of the characters featured are community-created._

 _Normally, I'd ask Skitt to say something about it all as well, but...eh. It's been so long since she's been around...I just wish she'd come back. ;-;_

 _It's complicated. Just read on and enjoy the prologue for now, it'll save you half the hassle. Cheers._

* * *

 **Phantom's Crown: Crusade**

 **Prologue**

 **Foreword**

* * *

 _The Canalave Library was home to many a book._

 _Alongside the obligatory texts and volumes detailing the history of the Pokémon world and its many myths, they had just recently opened up a new section in the east wing, dedicated to the many stories written by authors from all over the world. From a humble Ace Trainer's account of how he had successfully braved five nights in an abandoned restaurant with a bunch of Rotom, to Unova Elite Four member Shauntal's number-one best selling novel, 'Falkner and Morty Do Sexy things Sexily' (don't ask), the fiction was topnotch, and contained many genres suited to all manner of audiences._

 _However, due to its novelty, there weren't yet many visitors to this wing of the library. Sure, there were the inquisitive and bored sort, such as the local Elite Four member Lucian, who frequented it when he was looking for a new read, but most of the time, the section was empty._

" _Order, order!"_

 _Which, in effect, made it the perfect gathering place for a certain group of Pokémon on their days off._

" _Yeah, I'll have a large pepperoni, deep dish!"_

 _Now, one would think that, having existed for time immemorial, the Legendary Pokémon of the world would be going about their meetings maturely-_

 _"Honey! Don't tread water over the carpeting!"_

 _Evidently, that was not the case with the...shall we say, smaller ones._

 _"Waaaaaaaaaaah! You're no fun! Phione doesn't want to be your daughter no more!"_

 _Azelf sighed, and rubbed his eyes with his fingertips. He'd dreaded having to come to the meet-up, since it always guaranteed he'd have a migraine before it was even halfway through, courtesy of his...associates. But alas, he had no choice - he was obliged to attend, as both the stenographer, and to chaperone his sisters-_

 _"Mesprit, watch out!" "_ _ **CRASH!**_ _"_

 _Who had probably just toppled yet another tower of books, in their ever-increasing need to one-up each other at the ancient game of Tome-Stackers._

 _"I win! In your face, Uxie!"_

 _By Azelf's side, Jirachi reached for his flask of self-refilling coffee. The two Pokémon had become fast friends, even before and after Jirachi had started dating his sister, and were the probable sanest duo left in the room, since Mew, Celebi, Meloetta and Victini were out on business._

 _Manaphy excused herself and her daughter Phione, citing 'temper tantrums' as her cause of leave, before the two entered the adjoining bathroom, presumably to return to the sea via the sewer system._

 _Okay,_ _ **now,**_ _they were the sanest duo left in the room._

 _Speaking of Jirachi, he took a long gulp, before snapping his fingers. Immediately, the tower of books Mesprit had been stacking overturned itself, such that, by the end of it, Uxie's pile reigned supreme, as writing began to appear on the first of his wishtags._

" _Hey! No fair cheating!" Mesprit pouted, as Uxie cheered for her boyfriend's actions._

" _Cheating implies there were rules against it in the first place," Jirachi replied, placing his flask back on its holder, before he received a heavy tome straight to the back of the head._

" _Oy vey! That hurt, you-...hold on, wait." Jirachi stopped his tirade to look at the book that had made a dent in his headdress._

 _The title of the tome read, '_ _ **Phantom's Crown: Crusade**_ _', and underneath it, inscribed in gold leaf, the words, 'Co-written by SDproductions and Skittlinq'._

 _"I...don't think I've seen this book here before...Must be a new one." Jirachi ventured a guess._

" _Or maybe you just haven't read it yet." Shaymin mocked from her spot on the sofa. Gracidea withdrawal was wearing off on her, but she still retained her caustic attitude._

" _No, that can't be. I've memorized every book in this establishment just so I can put them back in their rightful places whenever they're done stacking."_

 _To prove his point, a divine wind rushed through the closed-window environment, swirling up the books that were strewn across the floor and across the round table in the middle of the room. Within seconds, the shelves were, well, shelved, with the books arranged by their respective places on the Dewgong Decimal System._

 _Except for that solitary tome, sitting pretty on the table._

" _...Well, it looks interesting...Wanna read it?" Hoopa asked the others._

 _"Just a moment. I do not like reading stories without a preview of the characters. Uxie, do-"_

" _Yeah, yeah, I got it, Shaymin."_

 _Coalescing her mental power into the heavy book, she began to broadcast what she could glean from a brief skim._

* * *

…A kiss under the gentle moonlight, with one party palming a **Dusk Stone** , and the other, a **Lunar Bracelet** …

...A figure leaps off a cliff, the **Altaria** on their back lifting them up into the sky…

...A duel between two **Gallades** commences, as a male with diamond-studded ears clashes swords against another male with dark green hair…

...A girl in black stands back-to-back with her **Weavile** , brandishing tri-bladed claws…

...A pale-skinned boy shoots two shuriken, thrown by a boy in a ski mask, out of the air, as their **Lucario** and **Gabite** fight on in the background…

...A humongous man punches the sunglasses off another man's face, a broken **glaive** and **naginata** by their feet...

...A dark-skinned woman and her **Granbull** leaps to the defense of another girl, whose **Gardevoir** is searching for a pulse…

...A battle couple, one wielding a dark-red bow, the other a large silver sword, ride into the fray atop their **Arcanine** and **Skarmory** …

...A girl defends herself with a knife, before her **Mightyena** tackles her aggressor away...

...A man swings a two-handed hammer towards a bearded man's face, as an **Electivire** restrains a **Feraligatr** …

…" **Brother**..." a man whispers, as he points his pistol towards a boy, who has his bow drawn, an arrow notched…

...A man wielding a barbed spear jabs at a boy carrying a long knife, while a **Reuniclus** and an **Espeon** engage in a mental battle…

...A boy on a **Magnezone** looks around in fear, as, unbeknownst to him, a man and his **Mismagius** watch him from the shadows…

...A girl atop her **Talonflame** fires a trio of arrows towards a woman, who barely reacts as her **Aggron** steps into their range, completely unaffected by the projectiles…

...A male throttles yet another male, who just so happens to **look exactly like him**...

...A man and his **Castform** approaches yet another man and his **Metang** on the bow of a ship…

...An exchange of rings between gloved hands, as a **Mawile** and **Audino** watch on in the background…

...And a frightened, auburn-haired girl, clutching a **Vulpix** close to her body, as their bodies race ever closer to the ground from a broken tower.

* * *

 _Uxie broke the connection. "And there you go. Satisfied, now?"_

 _Shaymin stared at the tome, before turning to her underlings and holding out a thumbs-up. "Very well. I've given it the Shaymin seal of approval, so let's read. Azelf, Jirachi, I deign you two the official narrators, since you both can last the longest."_

" _In bed-Mmf, MMPH!"_

 _Hoopa found her lips immediately sealed shut, as the second of Jirachi's wishtags immediately began to glow with writing. Satisfied that her wish was fulfilled, Uxie turned instead to hide her blushing face, something that had not gone unnoticed by her sister, who stared at her mischievously._

 _Oh, they were going to have_ _ **words**_ _after this._

 _Shaymin, oblivious as ever, continued, "Entertain us."_

 _In silent acquiescence, the two flipped the rather heavy tome to the front, and began to read aloud._

* * *

 _ **In the distant future, the Pokémon League has been overthrown, and a man has ordained himself as the King. But he is no wise monarch; instead, he rules with fear, invoking terror among the commonsfolk.**_

 _ **Pokéballs have been confiscated, Pokémon Centres and marts have been closed, and the sport of battling and taming Pokémon has been decreed illegal. Only the King's men are an exception to this law. The beasts that once co-existed with humans are now being used to keep the people submissive.**_

 _ **Anyone who dares rebel will answer to death.**_

 _ **The leading resistance group has acted. The first move has been made, and for the first time, the crown atop the King's head is at the risk of toppling. Will you add your strength to their cause, or will you defend the Crown?**_

 _ **The decision is yours. Make your choice, or have it be made for you. Just remember:**_

 _ **Et in Arcadia ego.**_

 _ **It is time to begin this epic tale. Welcome to the Crusade.**_

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _If your name, past or present, is one of the following (and, most likely, your OC was featured in that smashing preview up there):_

 _ **Skittlinq**_

 _ **Isetba**_

 _ **JJun**_

 _ **WereDragon EX**_

 _ **RedArrowCrasher**_

 _ **SentientPixel**_

 _ **RicePaddyHero**_

 _ **ZorialWater**_

 _ **PokeThatPokemon**_

 _ **Condor-K**_

 _ **Encendrel**_

 _ **Altomere**_

 _ **LuvCherice**_

 _ **Heart of the Anime**_

 _ **ZorialWater**_

 _ **emosewa-13**_

 _ **aleking74**_

 _ **reven228**_

 _ **666funtimes**_

 _ **PokeFreak45**_

 _ **TreblePlayer67**_

 _ **Seth98**_

 _ **Thegreatest777**_

 _ **ShadeZyro**_

 _ **The Misfit Shipper**_

 _ **We're All Okay**_

 _ **Magus Black**_

 _ **Vulkodlak**_

 _ **GreenSonic**_

 _ **Universal Lord Genghis Khan**_

 _ **ManCinoMan**_

 _ **CrimsonSkyTamer**_

 _ **Penumbro**_

 _ **SDproductions [Oh, right, that's me. :3]**_

 _Then congratulations! I've approved your OC through the snippets of the forms Skitt has shown me, and they will be playing a part in this rewrite, however big or small - and I promise you all of them will leave enough of an impact. Of course, up to half of them will die, but you already probably knew that. I will make a small request to you all, though - please re-send your full OC forms back to me, effective immediately. I made this prologue solely so that I could get in touch with you all, and I don't want to write out any mistakes or accidents with regards to your great characters - so please, if you're reading this, send, send, send!_

 _If you're just an average reader stumbling across this story, fear not. You'll immensely enjoy this story, because each and every character is supremely awesome in their own way. Including both of mine, but I'm a biased individual, deal with it._

 _I don't believe I'll be reopening SYOC for this story, because, by my standards, we're already crossing the line of 'Loads and Loads of Characters', and I think I've received just enough diverse characters to play every niche. However, you are very much welcome to send in a revised OC form and/or any improvements/suggestions you want to apply to your character, or if you feel I may have mis-portrayed them in some way, including this preview (if I do, I sincerely apologize, because I really am not used to this whole thing quite yet). I also may be (and probably will be) approaching you at times to either double-confirm aspects of your characters, or pitching in what I plan to do with them and seek your approval at times._

 _Have mercy on me, dear readers, I'm an imperfect human being too. .-._

 _Irregardless, I hope you enjoy this rewrite for what it's worth, submitter or not. I hope this project goes the way I want it to, because I think I'll have big plans for it, but if I screw up halfway...um, well, we'll cross that bridge only when it happens. Till then, I'll just roll with it, I guess._

 _That's all from me for now. Hope to see you guys soon enough. Cheers!_

 _...Oh, man, I am so royally screwed._


	2. Chapter One - Mae

_A/N:_

 _There isn't going to be many observed changes in the first few chapters. And that's because I don't believe in improving on perfection. :3 Actually, more of because there really isn't much to improve on, and these chapters are for the benefit of the non-OC-submitting readers. I have, however, put a new spin on tone - it's probably less serious now than it was before, but whether that's a good or bad thing is up to you._

 _Let's reply some reviews now._

 _emosewa-13: Speaking from experience now, are we? X3 In all seriousness, I hope I can live up to your praise - I'm definitely going to put my own spin into things, and the Legendaries will show up every now and then - probably during hiatus or bonus chapters or something._

 _WereDragon EX: I'm hoping I can live up to her reputation and expertise - mine is...admittedly less-than-stellar, but I'll try. And yes, there may be omake chapters with our Legendaries sprinkled here and there, if I'm stalling for time and can't think of what to write next._

 _Magus Black: Oh, so you do? Let's see if you're right. In any case, I'll do my best._

 _JJun: I am now reminded of how many people were her fans, me included. Here's to hoping I can live up to all your expectations. Cheers._

 _ShadeZyro: I'm curious myself, actually. I only have the first ten-or-so chapter arc planned out, and beyond that, it's a wild, wild world. Hopefully, I can lead it to success...Fingers crossed._

 _Altomere: Thank you for the praise!_

 _We're All Okay: You sure did - I hope I'll do her justice through this!_

 _Duskzilla: Thanks, Dusk. Hope to see more of you as we go along, although I'm pretty sure through Rift, that'll be inevitable. :)_

 _P.S. Actually, there might be something I need to make clear. I should mention that the human characters won't be the only people talking in PC:C; The Pokemon are getting in on the conversation aspect too, so, just to make it clear, here's a nifty little index:_

"This," - denotes human speech, unless accented for emphasis with italics, e.g. "This _sucks_!"

 _This - denotes human thought, unless accented for emphasis with bold, e.g. This_ _ **rocks**_ _!_

" _These," - denotes Pokemon speech, with same formatting as thought, e.g. "These_ _**socks**_ _!"_

 _In any case, I hope you enjoy this first chapter - whether it's your first time, or all over again! Cheers!_

* * *

 **Phantom's Crown: Crusade**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Mae**

* * *

"Stop! The King's guards command it! Stop! Thief!"

 _Yeah, like I'll stop because you asked me to_ , said thief thought. She hugged the two bags closer to her, unwilling to surrender them. Turning around, she took in the dusty, dirty, bland surroundings.

Light, lilac eyes darted around, alive with excitement. The fifteen-year-old girl smirked as she scanned the streets below for the source of the protests.

 _There they are!_ Delighted, she looked down at the two small figures clad in armour, brandishing their spears.

"Relinquish what you have stolen, and we'll see to it that your death is less painful!" the shorter, stouter guard spat.

Mae sighed in response. "How reassuring!" she shouted back, answering their vexatious demands. "I'm sure my mother would love it if you turned up at her door one day with my severed head in a box!"

"We speak with the voice of the King!" The taller, lankier of the two hollered.

She ignored that. The King didn't have a very elegant voice, after all.

"Okay, fiiiiiine...I'll give this back to you…" Her insolent eyes blinked as she dangled the smaller bag in front of her. It was filled halfway, and coins rattled when the girl shook it. "But only if you catch me!"

"Thief! How dare you not abide by the King's laws!"

Mae only stayed long enough to see the reactions on the guards' fuming faces. She laughed and spun around, auburn hair whipping wildly in the wind. Leaping from one roof to another, she landed with light thumps, as she had done a thousand times before.

A professional thief always had to look flashy and cool, no?

"Fat, slow, and sluggish!" she taunted, "Is that why they posted you here in Dusk City?"

"Return those two bags to us!" one of the two shrieked furiously. "The King won't be pleased!"

"All the better for me!"

They were following on foot, considerably slower because of their heavy armour and long spears. Mae, on the other hand, had a clear view of where they were, and could dodge any flying spears, should they decide to throw one. Spears weren't javelins though, so she highly doubted they would even be able to hit her if they tried.

"We'll reduce your sentence to life imprisonment!" a guard yelled, in an effort to sound generous.

Ignoring that, Mae leapt down another building, and knelt behind a tall, crumbling wall.

"Sorry, Talis," the auburn-haired girl whispered to the second bag. It wriggled slightly, and a muffled whine was heard. "You'll be out soon, sweetling."

Tucking the bag full of coins inside her cloak, and clutching tightly onto the second one, she took a sharp turn into a dark, musty alley. She knew that the guards were close behind; their shouts and curses helped her pinpoint their location. She grinned.

"Where did that sneak go?" she heard one say aloud, soon followed by an atrocious string of cuss words. "I'll be sure to tell Frances to clean these alleys up...are those Rattatas?"

"We could always take one of those peasant girls, and say she was the thief…"

Turning a left, Mae ran into yet another smaller, darker alleyway, that stank even more and had three times as many Rattatas as the last one did. The brick walls stood tall and high, proud against the creeping vines that were slowly spreading over them. The sun barely cast a shadow here, and Mae could hardly see the faint silhouettes of abandoned doors and broken streetlamps from decades ago.

After glancing around to make sure that she hadn't been followed, Mae sighed with relief. The exhilaration had quickly died down when the guards ended up losing track of her, but it sure had been fun to toy with them. The guards in Dusk City had always been mediocre.

And they would probably stay mediocre, in fact. After all, Dusk City would never be worthy of the King's eyes.  
 _  
"Vul!"_

The 'object' inside the second bag squirmed, letting out cries of protest. Mae sighed, and settled it on the ground.

"I didn't know how else I was gonna sneak you through the crowd," she explained apologetically, "The guards would have taken you away."

The reddish-brown six-tailed Pokémon shook her pelt, and glared at Mae, her brown eyes alive with defiance. _"Vulpix!"  
_  
Mae laughed. "Alright then." She stood up, and grabbed an unlit torch from one of the metal stands. "Light the way, Talis."

The Vulpix bared its teeth at the piece of wood, as if imagining that it was a dangerous foe.

 _"Pix!"_ it shouted, letting out three small streaks of fire from its mouth. One completely missed, and went skittering off somewhere, dying quickly. The other two sparks caught the wooden torch, and set it alight with flames.

 _"Vuplix!"_ Talis yipped, slightly proud with herself for accomplishing such a feat.

Mae grinned, and scratched her partner behind the ears. "You're amazing, Talis." Her partner purred in response. "I don't know what I'd do without a fire-type partner."

 _"Nothing at all."  
_  
"Don't get too overconfident there." Mae rolled her eyes. Sure, she couldn't understand her, but she got the general tone.

With the torch to light their way, Mae had no trouble finding the dull, creaking, rotting, brown piece of wood. All it took was a few steps forward, then to the right. The vines had been cut away neatly here, showing an obvious outline of a door. She pushed it open easily, causing cobwebs and dust to rain down. "It's dark."

 _"Obviously."_ Talis shook her pelt, creating a cloud of dust.

"Now… where are the stairs…" Mae mumbled aloud.

"Oh, here!" With a squeak of triumph, she began ascending, holding the torch with one hand and gripping onto the bars with the other. Talis followed with ease, hopping up the decaying steps. The old floorboards creaked under their weight, but nevertheless, they withstood.

"Home, sweet home!" Once the auburn-haired girl was at the top of the short flight of stairs, she ran forward. Sunlight touched her face, and the fire torch seemed to burn less brighter, now that it wasn't in the darkness. She threw the torch into a basin of water, having no further need of it. "Amazing, huh? I'm so glad we found this place."

Talis soon followed, and the two stood side by side, gazing out of the huge, gaping hole in the damaged room into the scenery beyond.

When Sprout Tower had been in its glory days, the halls had been lit with candles, and the rooms emitted a mantra of peace for the musing monks. Passageways were always dark, and a sage would await trainers seeking experience in the shadows, challenging any and all he deemed worthy. Legendary trainers from all over Johto had braved the tower at least once during their rookie days, and many more had visited it for blessings on their journey ahead. The tower endured earthquakes, attacks, and stood tall and proud, flaunting the power of the Bellsprout.

But alas, when the King abolished the Pokémon League, Sprout Tower finally saw its looming end. The monks that once defended it deserted, and its halls were left to Rattatas to desecrate.

Now, it was just the humble home of a thieving girl and her only Pokémon. Heck, the city itself was nothing but a shadow of its former glory. Its original name had faded away long ago, leaving people to rechristen the murky town 'Dusk City'.

"Dusk City…" Mae whispered. "The city of nostalgic scents… Violet City…"

 _"Vul."_

The sun was setting in the west, lighting up the sky with a flare of orange and red. All the sprawling buildings below were pathetically small and ugly, compared to the regal sunset. Mae squinted, watching the small citizens below with her sharp eyes. She glanced at the horizon; perhaps she could catch a glimpse of Kanto from here. Mount Silver was in sight, looming in the distance, but she couldn't see any of the towns…

Shrugging, Mae scooped up Talis, ignoring her cries of protest gleefully. She took out the bag of coins she had 'conveniently found', and threw it on a table.

"We'll be feasting tomorrow!" she announced happily, "That's enough to last us for a week!"

Talis couldn't do anything other than squirm, trying to writhe free of her partner's grasp.

"Maybe we should try exploring the world. What'cha say, Talis?" Mae asked. She threw herself onto a nearby wooden chair. Thank Arceus that thing hadn't broken yet… "There could be other people like us out there. People breaking the law and having Pokémon companions…"

The Vulpix leapt down from her partner's arms. A brief expression flitted across her face, which Mae could've sworn was scorn. _"Vulpix."_

"We could find someone to make your coat and tail look pretty. Even though that's, like, illegal."

 _"Pix!"_

"Oh, the King wouldn't know," Mae assured her, amused, "His guards wouldn't know either, and I'm pretty sure none of them would even care. Maybe we could run off and live in the forest. There's one near the town next to Dusk City, though it's not as big...But I can still steal from the guards and rich slugs, can't I?"

Talis ignored that. She paced along the wooden floorboards, bristling slightly with caution whenever a breeze came whistling in. Mae laughed at that, and Talis spat embers at her.

Such was the relationship between the two fugitives.

"I wonder if you know any other moves other than Ember…" Mae mused aloud. "The Empire's Pokémon can use Flamethrower and stuff, you know? I saw some of them flying around Mount Silver the other day."

Talis looked outside at the city, hissing. _"Let me at 'em!"_

"We'll terrorize them when you get stronger!" Mae promised, grinning. "Those guards won't dare bother us again."

Mae relaxed, leaning back in her chair, slightly careful to not break any of the fragile legs. Talis jumped up and snuggled beside her, her warm fur slightly tickling her partner.

 _We'll never starve again when you get more powerful,_ she vowed, _We'll never be short of gold and food, and we'll be able to walk through Dusk City without hiding our faces._

For an instant, she was lost in her fantasy, forgetting all about the King's stupid laws and the King's stupid, more powerful Pokémon, that would likely burn Talis to a crisp.

Talis' fur glowed in the fading sunlight, as she hummed contently.

Suddenly, the reddish-brown Pokémon stood up, as the last bars of sunlight slid away. She growled threateningly, her fur spiked and tail high.

Puzzled, Mae frowned. "Anything wrong Talis? You—"

 _"Vulpix!"_ Talis cried urgently, _"Incom—"  
_  
It all happened so quickly. Somewhere, there was a loud crash, as one side of the tower collapsed. Panicking, Mae turned around, trying to find the cause of it. Dread dawned on her eyes as she looked out of the room's hole, where the sun was dimming and night was rising. "Oh no…"

Three huge shapes flew in the sky, streaking closer to Dusk City. Atop their backs were the dark figures of humans. They flew the King's banner: a red Charizard's outline against a black background.

The tower shook suddenly, scraping against the pillar that held it up. A roar echoed through the abandoned building, rocking the floor. Rattatas scurried out of their nests, squeaking with fear.

"Talis!" Mae shrieked, grabbing her partner. Her legs shook, and by instinct, she leapt off the side of the tower the way she jumped to flee from guards. A sudden sense of vertigo overwhelmed her as she began to fall.

 _I jumped_ , she thought stupidly, _What was I expecting, a bungee cord?_

A third roar caused another part of Sprout Tower to break away.

In that moment, the floor gave away in the very room Mae was in seconds ago. She was slightly glad that her and Talis weren't under all that rubble. But then, she turned her mind to a more pressing issue: she was racing towards the ground headfirst, at speeds so fast she was certain there wouldn't be much left of them both to clean up in the aftermath.

 _We're going to die,_ she thought with panic, pulling Talis closer to her.

* * *

 **Neutral**

Mae and Talis (Vulpix) - ( _The Writer Formerly Known As) Skittlinq_

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _There wasn't much I wanted or needed to improve on from the first time we did this, so I felt the need to preserve it as it was. Needless to say, I take credit for only, like, 10% of the chapter._

 _Anywho, that's a wrap for this chapter. Hope you enjoyed and all, and I'll be back soon with another. Any criticism and/or suggestions for improvement based on the new tone and writing style (as subtle as it may be) is greatly appreciated, as is any speculation on where I'm taking this story._

 _That's all from me. Hope you continue to enjoy reading as much as I'm continuing to enjoy writing...again. Cheers! XD_


	3. Chapter Two - Phantom

_A/N:_

 _Ignore that feeling of déjà vu in the background - and no, it's not just you. :3_

 _But seriously though, unlike the first chapter, where nearly everything stayed the same...There are a few, let's say, additions to this chapter. Pokémon can talk now (obviously), I've added some more pop-culture references, and a bit of foreshadowing has been sprinkled here and there. See if you can pick up the subtle little differences and changes between then and now. Or, you know, if you're a new reader, see if you can pick those clues up._

 _Now, allow me to reply to the good people here who reviewed! Not to say you're a bad person if you didn't or anything...Uh, let's just move on._

 _ShadeZyro: It's exactly what I was aiming for - oh, and as for how we're able to read them saying it, well, our narrators. End quote._

 _LakeStream: Wait no longer. :)_

 _Heart of the Anime: To be fair, the June holidays just started for me, so I decided it was do-or-die time. Might as well do something about it, since I haven't singularly-written anything in so long and needed a test run to get me back on track. I'm glad that you're glad that this is back, though I'm still kiiiiiiiiiiiinda waitingforthoseforms. X3_

 _PokéFreak45: Aw shucks, thanks! I'm not really that awesome I just enjoy writing for how it is. Honestly, though, my difficulties will probably have to do with the workload I'm about to get next semester. .-. In any case, I'll do my best to please you guys._

 _Altomere: There won't be many obvious changes in the first few chapters, since it's a tribute to remember Skitt, the mistress who started it all. However, as said, for this chapter and the next, I have made a lot of small changes. Not to brag, but subtlety is my stongest suit. I think. In any case, I'll see what I can do._

 _WereDragon EX: It wouldn't be fair to me or her if I'd straight-up jacked her style, so I'm doing both of us a solid as smart as I can. I'm probably going to play it safe when I get to the first original chapter, though; I need to get into the hang of writing battles in general in preparation for the climax of the first ten-chapter arc, so nu!Chapter Four will primarily focus on one-to-one action. Hopefully, it'll be good, but we'll see._

 _Considering I didn't exactly receive a form from Skitt about Mae and Talis, I'm currently improvising off my own impression of our little Vulpix. Like master like fox, I suppose. Anyways, thanks for the praise, and I hope I've kept the good work up._

 _Condor-K: As said, while this is a tribute to remember Skitt, I'm putting my mark down on it so that the atmosphere changes in later chapters don't seem too jarring. I have spotted some of the minor mistakes, although I'm guessing there are a few I still missed. Hopefully, this chapter will be better..._

 _I love Pokémon-Pokémon interaction - Meowth is actually my favourite Pokémon in the anime purely because he can talk. There are so many in-jokes and sentences the human OCs would never say that I'll be able to use further down the line, but for now, I'll see what I can do._

 _Isetba: Sorry bout that. I hadn't received Ashley's form. She is part of the story, of course._

 _Duskzilla: Perhaps. This is a redux, after all - Skitt's original story isn't quite on this site anymore, but it matters not._

 _Okay, that's done. Let's go! Allons-y!_

* * *

 **Phantom's Crown: Crusade**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Phantom**

* * *

 _Don't get the civilians involved._

That was the main rule Phantom stuck by, and sixteen year-old Gilan Callaghan had tried his best to follow it. Resistance group or not be damned, innocents should never be caught in the crossfire.

Unfortunately, his colleague wasn't quite so noble.

"Draw their attention," his leader had commanded, "I don't care how you do it, but keep the civilians out of it, and try to not get captured by guards."

"Sure," Gilan's teammate had said casually, without telling the resistance leader exactly _how_ he was going about accomplishing that. He probably shouldn't have added the 'I don't care how' part, because Vasily, said teammate, had the idea that 'drawing their attention' involved destroying a certain landmark in Dusk City.

 _I mean, sure, that was bound to draw the guards, or even the King's attention, right?_ He pondered as the first stage of their plan was initiated.

Their attack began at sundown, and started off smoothly. The plan was simple enough, after all: get into Dusk City, get to the tower, destroy it, report back and have a drink, hopefully in that order. Gilan just hoped whatever deity the Bellsprout and monks worshipped wouldn't mind if its legacy was raised- sorry, razed, to the ground.

He had been circling the tower, wary of the three approaching Crown guards atop their own flying mounts. That is, until he saw the girl plummeting to her death. Of course, it was instinctual to be the gallant knight and stop her fall before she went splat on the ground, so he urged his borrowed Pokémon forward.

That thing was swift. Gilan's caramel-blond hair whipped around haphazardly, and the world seemed to blur around him. The girl was falling fast – but not as fast as the bird he was mounted on, luckily enough. With impeccable accuracy and timing, it swooped in, and caught her between its talons.

He silently praised the trainers who groomed them. They were topnotch - the birds, that is, but the trainers counted too.

Her reaction wasn't exactly what he wanted, though. "Talis!" she shrieked, "W-what the hell is this thing?!"

"Hello!" Gilan shouted back cheerily, "This thing, as you say, is a Staraptor!"

What could he say? He loved his one-liners.

As they flew back up into the air, he could see half the city starting to gather below, pointing at the falling building, possibly wondering who in their right mind would pull down the 100-feet tower — one of the few relics that survived the Crown's invasion.

 _Well, I don't think Vasily's usually_ _ **in**_ _his right mind, but...I got nothing._

The guards were shouting, people were screaming, and children were crying. One of the guards was standing on a hastily-made platform, with a megaphone in his hand. **"Everyone, please stay calm. This is a terrorist attack by Pha—"**

His words were drowned out by panicked yells as another section of the tower crashed into the ground.

The girl shut her eyes, letting out a muffled squeal as Staraptor rose higher and higher into the sky.

 **"** _ **Was that a scream I heard just now?**_ **"** Vasily's gruff voice blared through Gilan's earpiece, " _ **It better not have been from you."**_

He tapped the button on the side, and waited for the short burst of static to die down, before responding, **"I…found someone. Sort of. She's dangling from Staraptor's talons right now."**

They flew by an opening into the soon-to-be-ruined tower. Gilan looked inside, trying to locate his friend - but all he saw was debris. It was hard to see now that the sun was gone, but hopefully the darkness meant that the spectators below wouldn't be able to get a clear view of their faces.

"Talis will roast you alive if you don't let me down!" his passenger shouted through gritted teeth. Staraptor did a steep dive, and Gilan felt a pang of sympathy for the girl as she screamed again.

 **"** _ **She?"**_ Vasily repeated, _**"That's no way to treat a girl, Gilan.**_ **"**

 **"Considering the alternative is dropping her fifty feet, I'd say this is the best I can do. Also, are there supposed to be any inhabitants inside that thing, Vasily?"** he asked. In the background, he could hear the sounds of walls crashing down and wood floors cracking and folding into themselves. Simultaneously, a huge chunk of the tower's middle levels were torn down, and Gilan caught a glimpse of a Metang, accompanied by a teenager with black hair inside the falling tower.

 **"** _ **Yeah, just wild Pokémon,"**_ came the gruff reply, _**"The usual rodents and pests. Dusk City's alleys are probably going to be teeming with them after this, but I've tried to avoid destroying the areas occupied by Rattatas."**_

 **"How considerate of you,"** Gilan said merrily.

Vasily snorted disdainfully in return. " _ **Don't push it**_ _._ "

 **"I'm not talking about Pokémon though. You know the girl's that dangling from Staraptor's talons I was talking about?"**

" _ **What about her?**_ "

" **Well, she fell from the tower. I'm looking at auburn hair, dirty clothing, and a…** " He glanced at the red-fur and curled tails. **"…is that a Vulpix?"**

 **"** _ **A Pokémon?"**_ Vasily replied, sounding surprised. **"** _ **You think she's a guard novice?"**_

 **"Well, Dusk City's security isn't exactly the best."** The guard on duty at Dusk City's gates this morning hadn't even bothered to check their belongings. She just ushered them into the dusty city, and even wished them a good day.

A grunt. " _ **True.**_ "

Gilan diverted his attention back to the three guards, pinpointing their location in the sky with his stormy-grey eyes. They were a lot closer now, and he could see that there was a Skarmory in the middle, flanked by two Fearows. The King's banner flew below them, its ends held up by the Fearows' talons; the red Charizard flapped against the wind.

 **"Three guards coming your way,"** he informed Vasily, " **Engage if you must, but try not to kill them."**

" _ **No promises."**_ The feed cut off.

"Hey, you!"

In all the commotion, he had completely forgotten about the auburn-haired girl, presently shouting from below. "Let me down! Are you one of those stupid guards? I swear I didn't steal anything!"

For a moment, Gilan was actually tempted to drop her. But no. Instead, he pointed behind the tower towards an empty clearing in the middle of the woods. "Staraptor, there."

The Predator Pokémon understood immediately. With a beat of its powerful wings, it glided towards the intended destination, as Gilan looked back attentively. There were only two guards approaching the tower now, with the King's banner hanging between them. The Skarmory seemed to be flying back to wherever it came from, its shape was getting smaller and smaller.

Tapping the button on the side of his headset once more, he warned, **"One of the guards went off somewhere, probably to get backup. Two of them are still flying towards the tower, so watch out."**

 _ **"Yeah, about that-"**_

Another round of crashes and roars drowned out whatever Vasily was going to say. Seconds later, his voice sounded out clearly again. " _ **Exile, let's go!**_ _"_

A moment later, a second Staraptor appeared beside the tower, and a lean, black-haired man jumped onto it. A robotic mass with teal, metallic skin - Exile, Vasily's Metang - followed a moment later, hovering in the air above the bird.

 **"** _ **Route 39. See you there."**_

 **"Alright, dude."**

A minute later, Gilan's Staraptor lowered itself into the clearing, swirling up dust and leaves. Loosening its grip, it dropped the girl and her Vulpix down onto the grass. Falling with a yelp, she landed unceremoniously on her bottom. "Ow!"

Gilan dismounted, before looking at the newcomer's matted hair, and noticing the dirty clothing she had on. Her fingernails were grimy, and she looked like she hadn't showered in days. In short - like one of the citizens in Dusk City.

 _Great,_ he thought, _Probably someone unlucky enough to be inside the tower when the attack began. Gonna have to bring her back afterwards._

"So," he said with a smile, "Who are you, and what were you thinking when you jumped?"

The girl didn't reply, so Gilan turned his attention to the red fox Pokémon that leapt out of her arms. Its fur bristled threateningly, and it growled at him. He sized it up, noticing the long fur, and guessed that it was female.

" _Vul!"_ she snarled, _"Come any closer and I'll-"_

"A Vulpix." Gilan said, as if it wasn't obvious enough. "How'd you get her? Don't you know it's illegal to drag Pokémon around?"

That seemed to annoy the girl, who stood up, glaring at him. "Well, then why'd you get _that_ thing to pluck me out of the sky?" She pointed an accusing finger at Staraptor.

He stroked its feathers. "Would you rather be a bloody mess on the ground right now?"

"It hurt!" she complained, "Do you know how sharp those talons are? Anyways, you don't even look like a guard- Who _are_ you?"

Wow. Five minutes in, and his 'thank you' was still nowhere in sight.

Gilan shrugged. "Isn't that a bit stereotypical? Not all guards have ugly breastplates and spears, you know?" He held out his right hand. "I'm Gilan."

He smoothed down one of his Pokémon's loose feathers with his free hand. "This is Staraptor, your saviour." The Flying-type let out a cry of its own name. "And for your information, we're not guards."

Either the girl didn't have any manners, or she was super stubborn and wanted to be rude on purpose. She crossed her arms, still glaring at Gilan, refusing the handshake. "Mae."

"Mae? Mae what?"

"Just Mae." She pointed to the Vulpix, "This is Talis. Don't even think about taking her. I've gotten away from Dusk City guards heaps of times before. You guys are pathetic. "

Gilan sighed and withdrew his hand. "I'm not a guard," he repeated.

Her unflinching eyes and expression remained unchanged. "Oh?" she said, "Why are you strutting around with that thing then?"

She gestured at Staraptor, who puffed up its chest haughtily. _"Well, excuuuuuuuuse me, princess, I am not just some 'thing'!"_

Neither of them could understand it, so Gilan stressed, "It's not mine."

She looked at him dubiously. He raised his hands defensively. "Someone lent it to me!"

"You're a guard!"

"I am not!"

"Am too!"

"Am not!"

 _"So totally am!"_ Talis growled at Gilan.

For a moment, he was worried that the fox Pokémon would actually try to attack him. His clothes weren't exactly waterproof, for one.

Fortunately for him, the girl - Mae, was it? - scratched Talis behind the ears, which seemed to soothe the feisty Vulpix. When she was done, she looked up at him. "Was that your friend who was destroying Sprout Tower from the inside?"

Gilan laughed nervously. "Uh...well, yeah, I mean, we thought no one was living in it..."

Mae looked like she wanted to gut him. "Where am I supposed to stay now?" she glowered. Talis' expression wasn't any better either. "That was the most comfortable place to stay in…"

"Don't you have a home?"

Instantly, Gilan felt stupid for asking that, because both of them eyed him as if he was a two-headed Miltank.

"Have you been living under a rock? The tax is crazy! I'd rather live a life on the streets, instead of giving up everything I work for just to pay _taxes,_ " Mae said, sounding exasperated. "I stayed in alleys before I steeled my courage and tried spending a night in Sprout Tower. The local kids thought that thing was haunted, but it's just filled with Rattatas and a few Ghastlys."

Gilan mentally slapped himself. Vasily told him that the last person in the tower moved out more than a decade ago, when the King took down the League. Apparently he was completely wrong. "Thanks a lot, you idiot," he muttered aloud.

"What was that?"

"Not directed at you."

Mae looked up at him stubbornly. "At least apologize for taking away the roof we had over our heads."

" _What she said!_ " Talis yipped.

 _A Pokémon…_ Gilan thought. An idea formed in his head. "I could make it up to you..." he blurted, trailing off when he realised he didn't know _how_ he was going to make his plan work. If Mae didn't agree to this, he was screwed.

"What? Are you going to rebuild the tower?" she grumbled, "Good luck with that."

"No..." He subconsciously ran a hand through his caramel-blonde hair. "How do you feel about the King?"

The sudden question made Mae look up at him suspiciously. "Are you sure you're not a guard? I feel like you're going to arrest me for libel if I say something out of line."

He snorted. "Where'd you even learn what 'libel' means?"

Ignoring him, Mae looked at Talis thoughtfully. "Well...I've never actually seen the King himself..."

"I doubt the King has seen Dusk City either."

"He…" she started hesitantly. "He's—"

Gilan cut her off. "You're not going to spit out the whole truth, are you?"

Mae scowled. "The only people allowed to carry Pokémon around are the king's men. For all I know, you could be one of those cretins I stole from earlier. Guards don't like hearing bad things said about their precious king, you know?"

" _Gil. I've taken care of the guards, and am en route to Route 39 right now. Where are you?"_

Whoops. He had completely forgotten about Vasily. He turned around to face his mount.

"Where are you going?" Mae asked, as he swung himself onto Staraptor's back.

"Get on."

"W-What?"

"I'll ask you how you feel about the King," he said, " _After_ you see this."

"I'd rather go back to—"

"Sprout Tower? That's gone."

"What are you going to do with me, then?"

Gilan wondered if he really did look like a guard. How long was she going to keep drilling him with questions?

"I'll take you somewhere." That wasn't worded very well. Whoops. "I know a place where you can stay."

She huffed stubbornly. "I stole from the guards, _and_ I have a Pokémon companion." She scratched Talis behind the ears again. "If I came with you, I'd probably be thrown into prison, and that's if I'm _lucky_. How do I know you're not dragging me back to the King for justice?"

He laughed in return, as if that was a jest. "The King doesn't know what justice is. Plus, you have nothing else to lose."

"I might lose Talis. And possibly my head as well." She rolled her eyes. "But at least I have some leverage against you now. The guards would throw you in prison if they ever heard that, even if it is coming from me."

Reluctantly, she climbed onto Staraptor's back with Talis, seating herself in from of Gilan. She pulled her legs up, so that they didn't brush its wings. "This is terribly uncomfortable."

Talis looked down at the ground uncertainly. " _No kidding."_

"You complain about everything, huh?" Gilan said. But he understood, he had to let his legs dangle off to the side now that Mae and Talis were sharing the mount. It felt strange and unsafe to him to not have them safely on top of Staraptor's back. "Staraptor, let's go."

Staraptor spread its wings, and stretched its back. " _Hold on to your Ponytas!"_

Mae's fingers whitened as she clung onto its plumage, her other arm hugging Talis closer. "Actually, I reconsider, I'm going to stay on the—"

Whatever Mae was going to say next turned into a muffled yelp when Staraptor took off into the skies, leaving behind a swirl of dust on the ground.

* * *

Mae used to daydream about seeing a magnificent bird Pokémon, or even fly on one if she was lucky enough. She'd imagine the feeling of gliding with the wind, the soft breeze tousling her hair, Talis following on the ground...

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

She stood corrected.

 _What was I thinking, going along with Gilan? I'm going to kill him,_ Mae thought. _He's_ so _dead._ _ **I'm**_ _so dead._

Maybe she was getting bored of stealing for a living. Or maybe she just wanted to fly on a Staraptor. In any case, she had gotten on the bird, and was now hightailing through the air.

Against her better inhibitions, she stopped looking at her ride's dull feathers, and forced herself to look up and around to see what had happened to her home. She blanched as they passed over where Sprout Tower stood- sorry, _once_ stood. What had been a proud hundred-plus-foot tall tower was now a decidedly pitiful mess of wood and steel - not even the famed pillar in the centre of the old pagoda has escaped destruction.

The crowd that had gathered when she was still flying under the Staraptor had dissipated, and only a few armoured guards lingered, their spear tips glinting under the light of the setting sun. She could see about ten of them lazing around, and some others standing guard near the front of the tower. They were completely heedless as Staraptor flew across the dusk sky. Typical.

Then the vertigo kicked in, and Mae returned to looking at the grey plumage.

Normally, she wasn't afraid of heights. She had climbed trees, jumped from rooftop to rooftop, and balanced on high, narrow, ledges. But flying on a Pokémon felt completely different. Her feet weren't touching anything firm, and if she fell…

"Vasily, where are you?" she heard Gilan say. "I'm seeing a lone Skarmory coming in from the direction of Goldeneye City. Probably to check out the damage in Dusk City… Yeah…"

Mae tuned out. She imagined the distance between her feet and the ground and shuddered. "If I fall, I'm dragging you with me to hell," she muttered irritably, conjuring an image of Gilan flailing in the air to appease herself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Talis looked up at her, puzzled. " _Vul?_ "

"It's okay, Talis." Mae smiled, and stroked Talis' fur for comfort. At least Gilan wasn't flying towards Mount Silver, where the King resided. In fact, he was flying in the opposite direction, leaving behind the huge, grey mountain.

Staraptor's crest moved slightly as it flew. Mae kept her eyes on it, trying to not look below. _Jumping off buildings was so much easier,_ she thought glumly.

"You know, it's easier to fly solo," Gilan said.

"Then I could push you off just for my personal comfort," Mae told him.

"Staraptor will obliterate you if you do that."

" _Totally_ ," the grey bird chirped.

Mae shot a warning glare at it. _Don't you dare even think about it, you overgrown chicken._ "You said it wasn't your Pokémon."

"It belongs to someone else. It'll still tear you to pieces if you send me plummeting to the ground, though."

She snorted. "You'll be too dead to appreciate it."

"Fair point."

After what seemed like hours of flying, Gilan pointed ahead at the horizon. "That's Ecruteak City," he said.

Mae couldn't see much in the dark, but she was able to make out the outline of tall buildings, and a shape that resembled Sprout Tower. "Are you telling me to live in that tower?" she asked, unimpressed. "Or are you planning on destroying it too?"

She looked behind her, and saw Gilan staring at her in amusement. "In your dreams. I wish I could dump you here, but no. I'm only pointing it out because it's one of the cities the King left untouched during his conquest. The tower there is dedicated to Ho-Oh, a Pokémon that used to fly around the world and stuff."

A picture of Staraptor flying around the globe entered Mae's head, with her on its back, and she shuddered. The tower was closer now, and Mae could see that the King had left it in a much better state than Sprout Tower. "It's pretty, I guess. Could use a bit more decoration."

"Pfft. Just a little longer till we meet up with Vasily."

Ecruteak City passed under them. Despite her earlier misgivings against looking anywhere but the bird, curiosity compelled her to look down. Lights dotted the streets, and people crowded the walkways. Some buildings had big, fancy, flashing signs on them. There were a couple of guards too, but they seemed as lax as Dusk City guards.

"What are those lights?" she said, looking at a tall pole with what looked like a glass lantern hanging from it. It reminded her of something, but she didn't remember what.

"Streetlights," Gilan replied. "Don't they have that in Dusk City?"

"Yeah, but they don't light up at night like that."

They flew over the city, no one noticing the bird Pokémon in the sky. _Don't people ever look up?_ Mae thought. _Or maybe they think we're guards._

The flight went on for a few more minutes, before Gilan directed Staraptor to another clearing in the woods. They landed, and the first thing of note Mae saw, was a tall, lean and slightly tanned teenager, standing there, searching his pockets.

"Looking for something, Vasily?" Gilan asked, as he stepped down.

"That picture Yoki conned me into taking..." Frustrated, he gave up searching, before his charcoal-grey eyes met Mae's own lilac eyes and lingered. He looked away. "That's the girl that jumped out of the tower?"

Gilan nodded. "Yeah, it was a pretty stupid thing to do."

His friend - Vaseline, was it? - grunted in agreement.

"Hey!" Mae pouted. She slid off Staraptor's back, letting Talis down onto the grass. "Anyways, I suppose you're the Vaseline guy Gilan keeps running his mouth off to?"

"My name's Vasily," he corrected. "Vasily Volkov." The scar on the bridge of his nose twitched as he looked at her expectantly.

"I'm Mae," she grumbled back.

Gilan held out a white and red sphere, and pointed the white button in front at Staraptor. "Thanks," he said, pressing the button.

The Predator Pokémon let out a final squawk, before a red beam shot out and enveloped it, bringing it back into the device.

Mae looked at the whole process curiously. Sometimes, guards from neighbouring cities or towns would visit Dusk City and bring their Pokémon. She had seen the strange red and white device before, but never up close. Turning her attention away to the more pressing issue at hand, she asked, "So why am I here? Are there guards in the bushes, ready to jump out and ambush me?"

Vasily nodded absently, not quite catching what she had said. His eyes were instead glued onto her partner, who tried - and failed - to growl menacingly in return. He bent down to take a closer look at Talis. "You have a Pokémon," he said.

Mae rolled her eyes. "Obviously."

Talis growled, and then puffed up her chest. " _I'm a Vulpix,_ " she said with pride.

"Okay, so...why do you have her here with you?" Vasily asked, directing his question at Gilan.

"Maybe she could...you know...thingy." He made some hand gestures, and Vasily seemed to understand immediately.

"Yoki won't be impressed," he crossed his arms. "He's looking for seasoned professionals, not some girl we picked off the streets."

"We blew up her home. I didn't know what else to do." Gilan sighed.

"Bluh. Fine. Let's go annoy the big guy."

Vasily stood up, and began to walk out of the clearing. Gilan followed, and Mae assumed that she was supposed to come too. She looked around warily, trying to find a glint of armour in the bushes, or a spear tip poking out of the leaves.

Vasily seemed to find that amusing, and chuckled.

"Oh, and you should probably keep Talis out of sight," Gilan told her.

Mae looked down at the Vulpix blankly. "How?"

Vasily answered that, not verbally, but by taking off his grey hoodie, revealing a sleeveless grey shirt underneath. "Cover her with this." He tossed the hoodie to her, and she caught it, trying to imagine how she'd be able to smuggle in a Pokémon with just a hoodie.

Gilan tossed her his own navy blue hoodie. "It's your dirty laundry."

"Laundry..." Mae repeated, feeling stupid, before she sighed. "Sorry, Talis, sweetling, but it's gotta be done. Again."

Her partner didn't complain as Mae shoved her into the grey hoodie, and then threw the navy blue one over the top. "If only I had a basket," she muttered. "I feel ridiculous."

The 'laundry' shook, and a muffled sound escaped from it.

"A Pidgey stole the hoodies, and you went out with your brother and his friend this afternoon to retrieve it," Vasily told her. "We found it hanging on a tree, and took longer to return. That's your story, capiche?"

"My life sounds _so_ exciting," Mae muttered, but nodded in return.

Satisfied, Vasily resumed his stride. The night seemed eerily creepy, somehow. They walked for some time, and Mae took said time to look at her surroundings. They passed a farm, and she could see the lights switched on through the windows. Occasionally, Vasily would say something to Gilan, or vice versa. Other than that, they encountered no one.

"Today was a good day," she heard Vasily say to Gilan. Both were grinning like a bunch of lunatics. "The mission wasn't too hard."

 _Today was_ so _not a good day,_ she thought. Her arms were getting sore from holding Talis for so long. _Mission?_ She wondered what kind of 'missions' Gilan and Vasily were assigned, if one of them involved destroying a 100-feet tall tower.

As they were walking, she began to notice a strange, briny, salty smell in the air, which was certainly different from the smell in Dusk City. She could see Talis' nose pop out from under the hoodie, sniffing said air, before ducking back in.

"There it is," Vasily said, stopping in his tracks. He pointed towards something up ahead.

Gilan nodded. "I see the gates. Who's the guard on duty?"

Mae could see the gates too. A white arch came into view, with the words ' _Kingsport City'_ etched on it with gold lettering. The buildings beyond resembled the ones she and Gilan had flown over in Ecruteak City. They were huge brick buildings, nothing like the wooden houses in Dusk City.

"A friend of mine is on duty today." Vasily gestured to the gate with his head. "FYI, that's Kingsport. But the city's old name is still used, if rarely. Have you heard of Olivine City?"

Mae shook her head. All she knew was Dusk City and Mount Silver. She never went to school, nor had she gotten her hands on any geography books either. Geography was boring, anyways.

They walked to the gate. It wasn't barred, but a guard was sitting on a chair, looking bored. He had the same breastplate and spear that Dusk City guards had, so Mae assumed he wasn't highly ranked.

When he caught sight of them, a smile broke over his face. "Vasily, my man!" he said, grinning.

"Stay here," Vasily told Gilan and Mae, before he dropped the apathetic demeanour. Instead, he put on a disturbing smile (at least, disturbing to Mae), and walked over to the guard, laughing. "Yo, Anson, my man, how's it going?"

The guard - Anson, was it? - gave Vasily a fist bump. "Nothing much, as per the usual! So, you'll be wanting to get into the city?"

He nodded. "Sure am. Why else would I be here?" Taking out a card, he flicked it at the guard, who caught it, looked over it once, before handing it back.

"Cleared and authorized, my man! But I gotta ask, who are those two?" Anson waved to Gilan and Mae. He waved back, and she tried to smile. Doing that felt strange, since all she'd done in the past few hours was scowl at Tweedledum and Tweedledee (as she had so affectionally nicknamed the two guys).

"They're my distant cousin, and his sister," Vasily told him. "Some Pidgey caught their laundry and went flying off earlier today. I got worried, so I went off to help them find it."

"He sucks at lying, doesn't he…?" Gilan whispered. Mae nodded in agreement.

Bad liar or not, Anson ate up every word. "Alright, go right in then!" he said cheerily, waving towards the city. "And have a good night!"

He didn't take a second glance at the lump of 'clothing' Mae had, which was fortunate, because Talis was starting to get restless.

The three of them sauntered past the gate. Just like Ecruteak, the streets were lit up by streetlights, and people were out and about. Children were running around with their parents chasing after them, and two men were in the process of getting drunk at a bar, with one of them yelling something that sounded to Mae like, "CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARL!"

On the other hand, Mae also noticed quite a few guards walking around, although none of them had Pokémon - or at least, didn't have them out. However, upon closer inspection, she couldn't see any of the Pokéball devices the two guys had. _So why do they have Pokémon?_

"Our destination's in the harbour," Gilan said to her. "After we get there, Talis can get out."

"Then can we walk faster?" she complained.

"If you want to look suspicious, sure," was the response.

Vasily led them past towering, modern buildings. Mae saw more people, and more flashing signs on buildings. The salty smell got stronger as they continued walking, and it appeared as if Talis could smell it too, for she wiggled uncomfortably underneath the two hoodies.

"Just a little longer," Mae whispered soothingly.

Gilan heard what she said, and looked at her strangely. "Why don't you ever talk to us like that?"

Mae shot him a glare. "Maybe because you destroyed the tower I was staying in, and tack in the fact that you guys almost got me killed!"

"Hey, we saved you though!" Gilan said exasperatedly. "Aren't we even now?"

"I liked Sprout Tower!" she retorted, before sticking out her tongue and blowing a Razz Berry. "Thbbbbbbbt!"

"Why you little-" he gave up talking and began to blow Razz Berries back. "Thbbbbbbbt!"

"Drop it, you two. We're here."

Vasily turned to address the two of them. "Alright, we're going into a restaurant now. Be on your best behaviour and presentation."

Mae wasn't sure if walking into a dining place with matted hair and dirtied clothes could be considered good behaviour and presentation. Besides, who the hell brings their laundry with them to eat anyways?

She eventually realized what the salty smell was. When they had finally left behind all the huge, towering buildings, the dark water finally came into view, in the form of a vast sea. Waves crashed on the rocks, and Mae even glimpsed a red crab-like creature, but it quickly scuttled away when they got closer.

Noticing her fascination, Vasily asked. "Haven't you seen the ocean before?"

She shook her head. "Not in person. Dusk City's very far inland, and I've never left it."

They walked onto a small pier, where a pristine-white ship had been docked at. Mae stared at it, wishing she could let Talis out to see it too. She had only seen ships and boats in the books she'd stolen from people - but the sheer size of this one left her mouth hanging open. The seaworthy vessel looked like a normal steamship, though, and its name was painted into its side: _S.S. Chance._

"The S.S. Chance," Vasily echoed. "She used to travel the world before the King's conquest. Now she's stuck here, docked for eternity."

"She also became the coolest place to eat out at in Kingsport, though," Gilan told her. "Open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and they hire just about anyone."

They walked to the entrance of the 'restaurant', where a porcelain-skinned girl with a pixie-cut of black hair was standing. She was dressed like a waitress, and stood to the side of the wide door. She nodded at Vasily, while her dark brown eyes glanced at Mae.

"Good evening, gentlemen, and young lady, do you have a reservation?" she asked.

Vasily nodded back. "We're booked. VIP suite."

"Oh? Go straight in and take the stairs on the left, then," she beckoned them in.

Gilan grinned as he passed by. "Tia Harmon," he acknowledged.

Tia smiled back politely. "Gilan Callaghan," she replied.

Mae followed them into the _S.S. Chance,_ fully aware of Tia's gaze on her back, before her paranoia turned to sheer amazement once she realized what she had just stepped into.

Oh. Arceus.

The place was nothing like Sprout Tower, or anything Mae had ever seen in Dusk City. The red carpet was tidy and clean, with not a single speck of dust to be found on the ground (that changed when Mae stepped in though). The grandeur of the whole establishment was compounded by the chandelier that was hanging from a chain from the ceiling. The biggest surprise, at least, for her, were the _framed_ portraits that hung from the whitewashed walls, because, back in Dusk City, she had to use tree sap to stick any photos she had stolen onto a cracked panel. This place was...fancy.

The people here were dressed just as elegantly - obviously, they didn't want to let the furniture outdo them. The women had long, flowing dresses, their hair done in curls, or buns, or spirals, or just plain left untied. The male diners had fancy suits and vests, their hair gelled or combed neatly. To wit, the dining room to Mae's right was only half-full - she wondered what it'd be like in the daylight hours, when there were bound to be much more people around.

Gilan and Vasily walked up the flight of stairs on the left, just as Tia told them to. Mae hesitated.

"What are you waiting for?" Vasily asked. "It's just up this way."

"Nothing. It's just…this place is…" She left her words unsaid, and hurried up the steps to catch up to them.

The room above had three doors on each wall. Vasily walked to the closest door on the left wall, and knocked.

"Door's unlocked," a masculine voice said from inside. Vasily ran a finger through his black hair, and muttered what seemed to be a prayer, before twisting the handle and walking in.

Gilan stood to the side, and gestured for Mae to walk in first. She looked at him, skeptical.

"When are you going to stop looking at me like that?" he asked, sighing.

She turned away, shivering slightly, before facing the room. There seemed to be something odd about the room, though...Oh.

It was _snowing_ in there.

A thin coat of snow had already spread over the floor, and snowflakes were still gentle floating down towards it, seemingly out of nowhere. The atmosphere was cold and sharp, despite the soft and glistening look the winter wonderland had. Mae yelped in surprise, and dropped the hoodie Talis was in. "W-what is this…?"

She looked around the room. It wasn't as elegant as the ship's lobby, and had no windows. There were pictures on the walls, most of which were of people she didn't know.

Her partner scrambled out, and flinched at the unexpected drop in temperature. " _W-W-Why is it so cold?!"_

A Pokémon with a spherical head and cloud-like body floated up to Talis, its black, beady eyes sparking with mischief. " _Because Rebel made it that way!_ "

Mae stepped in nervously, her feet sinking into the snow. She looked up at the ceiling, and saw small, miniature clouds. "Is that—"

"That's Rebel's work," Gilan said, pointing to the spherical Pokémon. "She's a Castform. Her trainer's right there."

It was only then that Mae noticed the man currently standing next to Vasily, looking annoyed. Whether it was the Pokémon that displeased him or Vasily, Mae had no idea. He suddenly looked up at her with his light green eyes, and grinned warmly. "You must be Mae. The girl who jumped out of the tower?"

 _Jumped out of the tower? Is that what I'll be remembered for now?_ Mae shot an accusing look at Vasily. "Yeah… I am."

He rubbed his hand through his unkempt blonde hair. "They said you had a Pokémon… Is it that Vulpix?" he said, looking at Talis. Mae didn't say anything.

"She thinks we're guards," Gilan explained.

The man laughed. "Well, allow me to convince you otherwise. My name is Yoki," he held out a hand, "But some people call me The Revolutionary."

"The Revolutionary?" Mae echoed, though she didn't return the handshake.

"How do you feel about the King?" he asked, letting his hand fall back to his side.

 _Oh, great. The exact question Gilan asked her earlier._

"The King?" She paused, and thought. "Well…he's…our king."

Yoki wasn't satisfied with that. "Is he a good king?"

"He…didn't care about Dusk City at all," Mae answered, eyes shifting around. "What's with this interrogation?"

Yoki sighed, and walked to the desk in the middle of the room. It was scattered with papers, some of them wet because of the snow. Rebel circled her partner's head, smiling happily. It took a few seconds for Yoki to get what he wanted. He handed a black and white newspaper article to Mae. "Read it."

She did.

* * *

 _OUTLAWS, TERRORISTS, REBELS, RESISTANCE ORGANISATION_

 _ **PHANTOM**_

 _REWARD:_

 _A manse in the capital, 500,000 PokéDollars for the leader_

 _100,000 PokéDollars for information leading to the leader's capture_

* * *

"Phantom?" Mae had heard of resistance groups before. A small one had formed in the woods behind Sprout Tower during the King's eighth year of ruling, but was completely annihilated when the guards discovered them. The ones she'd heard of were mostly small outlaw groups, defying the law and mugging anyone who wasn't their friend. But the reward on the poster seemed like a hefty price to pay for catching outlaws.

"We're a resistance group," Yoki explained. "Anyone with a grudge against the Crown comes to us. Orphans, thieves, murderers, criminals... Phantom takes them all in. Everyone here has a common cause. The King knew how to conquer, but he didn't know how to rule. The guards are corrupted, cities are falling apart, and the gap between the rich and the poor is getting bigger."

Vasily nodded at every word Yoki said. "You have a Pokémon."

Yoki shot him a glare that said 'shut up'. "You and Vulpix could potentially help us."

Mae looked down at Talis. "Was the girl at the entrance part of this resistance group?"

"Tia? Yeah, she is."

"What about these two idiots?"

"Hey!" Vasily and Gilan whined in unison.

Yoki nodded. "They are."

Mae looked at all three of them. "What are you trying to ask me, again?" That seemed like a stupid question.

"Join us," Gilan said bluntly.

 _A resistance group…_ Mae reread the wanted poster again. "I'll…" She hesitated.

She looked down at Talis, wishing she could read her partner's thoughts. Talis seemed to know what she wanted to ask.

" _Pix._ " she said, her brown eyes unblinking.

"The more of us, the better. We have another base in Kanto, and one somewhere in Sinnoh." Yoki held out his hand, and watched the snowflakes melt. "What did you do before Gilan and Vasily came?"

"I… stole from people."

Either Yoki didn't hear, or he just simply didn't care. He opened a drawer on his desk, and took out a red and white Pokéball, and handed it to Mae. "Here. You won't have to steal this one."

Mae stared at it, unsure of what to do. "This is a—"

"A Pokéball, yes."

Mae held it up, slightly annoyed at Yoki for interrupting her. "I knew."

The sphere felt cold and metallic in her hands. She could see her reflection on the ball, staring back at her, urging her to answer. Talis's fur brushed against her leg, and she remembered the fantasies she had of her Vulpix incinerating the guards' Pokémon to a pulp. Years of hiding, running, evading guards came back to her.

"So?" It was Gilan who spoke this time.

Mae laughed, and tossed the ball into the air, before catching it with her other hand. "Bribing me with an outlawed device, huh? What should we do, Talis?" she asked.

" _We do what we do best!_ "

Talis's enthusiasm strengthened her resolve. She remembered the dark, dusty alleys of Dusk City, and how she had to avoid the guards every time she entered the market. She wouldn't have to do any of that anymore. _A new lifestyle?_ Determination surged through her. "Alright. We accept!"

Light green eyes blinked. "That didn't take much persuasion." A smile flitted across Yoki's face. "Welcome to Phantom."

Mae smiled. Phantom _did_ have a cool ring to it.

And in that moment, she was glad that she didn't push Gilan off the Staraptor.

* * *

A small, black and yellow Pokémon hopped over the fallen pillar, holding an equally small flashlight. Clicking it on, his red eyes eagerly took in the scenery, and his mischievous smile remained unchanged as he looked at the ruined wreck of what was once Sprout Tower.

"Did you find anyone else, Art?"

" _Mawile!"_ Arthur the Mawile turned around and shook his head, the jaw at the back of his head brushing the ground as he did so. " _Unless they're a spooky scary skeleton six feet under! Or, y'know, a red stain on the ground."_

The golden-haired youth sighed in relief, his eyes closing for a moment. "No further casualties. That's good..."

The two Dusk City guards behind him stood still, their back straight, eyes glued on Art in wonder. The Mawile sneered at them in return, and flashed them with the torch. " _Whatchu you lookin' at?"_

"Okay, since that's settled, did either of the two of you happen to, at least, see who the culprit was?" he asked, looking expectantly at the guard closer to him.

The elderly guard stiffened. The kid looked like he was barely out of guard school, yet the stylized dark cloak and silver brooch indicated that the boy far outranked him.

"A young man…around your age, maybe." He replied, "Black hair, grey hoodie; he fled after I left to call for help."

"Any other details worth mentioning?"

"He had a Metang," the other guard offered, "And he fled on a Staraptor when we got close. There was also another one who flew off before we could see anything else about him, other than he was also on a Staraptor."

A frown flitted across the blond's handsome face. "Tch. A Metang...Staraptors...So the rebels are toting stronger Pokémon now. I'll have to forward that bit of info to the Prince."

He looked around at the rest of the city. The gentle moonlight illuminated a pitiful sight - the houses were small, the roads were cracked, and the lampposts that were supposed to be on were cracked and in disuse. Although it wasn't that late at night, nobody was out at the time. He wondered if his presence was part of the reason; he had been to places in both regions, and learnt that not everyone trusted officials. Or anyone in charge, for that matter.

"In the meantime, you two are to gather your fellow guardsmen and rebuild the tower." he declared.

The younger of the two guards looked at him as if he was Art. "B-But," he stammered, "The cost! Dusk City can hardly afford to hire guards as it stands, let alone rebuild an entire tower!"

Personally, he would have gladly shipped the guards off to Sinnoh for more funds to improve the lifestyle of the populace. He'd seen how they bullied the locals; he couldn't think of a word to describe the guards here, other than _lousy_. "That's not a request, gentlemen - it's an order."

"The King—"

"I'm a representative of the Crown Prince, and I speak with the authority granted to me," he stated, unsmiling, "Rebuild the tower, and move the citizens from the outskirts into it."

He had seen the outskirts. The guards hung around there when they were off duty, goofing off and practicing their (lack of) skills with their spears. The residents there were the furthest away from the market, and they didn't have the peace the more lucky citizens near the centre had. The houses there were hardly different from Sprout Tower yesterday, before it got knocked down. "Rebuild the houses, fix the roads and streetlights, and build a stronger gate. See to it that that the residents have a proper city to live in, not a slum."

Reaching into his satchel with the hand not currently holding his lantern, the young man tossed a sizable bag towards the two guards, who fumbled with it, before opening it to find a small fortune's worth of gold coins, which glinted under the faint luminescence.

"Consider this a gift from the Crown. Surely you have no worries about going through with the repairs now."

Art looked at them sternly. " _Maw._ "

"Y-Yes, sir!"

They hurried off in unison, leaving the fair-haired boy to retreat into his own thoughts.

 _Urgh...And I was so looking forward to a nice meal with that bounty on Blue Hood's head…_

He ran a hand through the bangs of messy hair that had dislodged themselves to the front of his head, and sighed tiredly. Never had he seen a city like this in Kanto, and that was even including Velvet City.

"A black-haired boy with a Metang, huh," he mused aloud. Reaching into a side pocket of his dark cloak, he pulled out and unfolded the paper he'd picked up along the way to Dusk City, holding his lantern over the faces captured within in order to see them in the darkness. A scarlet-eyed teenage girl with black hair that faded into red; a blond, tanned-skin man with light green eyes; a bearded, muscle-bound man with short brown hair; a hazel-eyed woman with a long, dark-brown hair; and a teenager with jet-black hair. His eyes lingered on the black-haired teenager.

 _You...Are you the one responsible for this mess?_ he thought, staring at the picture. The violet eyes in the picture stared back at him, the teenager's face frozen with a smirk.

" _Morgan_ ," Art said, tugging at his trousers. He pointed a black finger behind his master. _"You've got mail."_

"Oi! Kid!"

The senior guard was running back, with an envelope in his hands. "Something for you! A letter!" he paused to gasp for air.

"A letter? For me specifically?" he repeated, surprised.

He took the white envelope, and indeed, it was addressed to him, with his full name and all. Noticing the King's seal on it, he set down his lantern, and ripped it open from the side with both hands, before taking out the white paper, his brown eyes widening in surprise. Art leaped onto his back, before shining the torch on the letter for both of them to read.

 _Dear Sir Lockwood,_

 _We request your presence in Ecruteak City at your earliest opportunity. A Pidgeot has been sent to Dusk City to take you here in due time. We hope to see you by the morrow._

 _Signed,_

 _Fraternity_

* * *

 **Phantom**

 _ **The Revolutionary:**_ Yoki Kohzo and Rebel (Castform) - _Condor-K_

Gilan Callaghan and ? - _emosewa13_

Vasily Volkov and Exile (Metang) - _Seth98_

Tia Harmon and ? - _We're All Okay_

Mae and Talis (Vulpix) - _Skittlinq_

 **The Crown**

Morgan Lockwood and Arthur (Mawile) - _SDproductions (yours truly)_

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _Well, this has been fun. It's been so long since I last actually saw this chapter for real, and now that I did, I'm happy to say I've done all I can to upgrade it, to increase your personal viewing pleasure. I take credit for about ten, maybe twenty percent of it, since most of it's based off the original, but I wonder just how many of my dropped hints you could find…?_

 _Anywho, that's another wrap on this chapter._ _Any criticism and/or suggestions for improvement based on the new tone and writing style (as subtle as it may be) is greatly appreciated, as is any speculation on where I'm taking this story. A review would be nice too, although I understand if you're not in the mood to do so._

 _That's all from me. Hope you continue to enjoy the Crusade. Cheers! (\\(OwO)/)_


	4. Chapter Three - Fire, Blood, Tears

_A/N:_

 _Surprisingly, I don't have all that much to say. I attribute the lateness of this chapter to the fact I was stuck in Jakarta, where...*shudders* They banned Fanfiction. .-. Scaaaaaary._

 _But at least this chapter's done. I personally worked with Skitt on this one, so there are even fewer changes made to most of the chapter. That's just how it goes, I guess - nothing to get around or above._

 _I should say, though, look out for some of the existing characters to get a major-minor boost in screentime and elaboration. I don't know how well I pulled them off, but I sure hope I'm faithful to the source material (your OC forms, hehe). Also, because I have absolutely no idea what the resistance is going to face in Kanto - attributed to how I am not part of Skitt's psyche - there's going to be a new bad guy over there. Sort of. Just pay a lil' closer attention to the entire chapter, and you'll understand, perhaps._

 _Oh, and a big shout-out to_ _ **WereDragon EX**_ _. You've been a great source of help for factchecking the lore behind PCC, and while I'm not done finalizing it as always (Arceus forbid I ever get around to that), I really appreciate all the help you've been._

 _Okay, tally-ho, let's get on with it. Back to Vasily for the opening act. Allons-y!_

* * *

 **Phantom's Crown: Crusade**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Fire, Blood, Tears**

* * *

 _Fire and blood._

 _ **THWACK!**_

The sound of a whip cracking across his back.

His home - up in flames. The guards - jeering and leering at his misfortune. The people he had once considered his friends - now laughing, not with him, but at him.

Laughing and smiling in cruel mockery, as tears streamed down his face.

 _Tears._

 _Fire, blood, and tears._

The picture melted away, as the citizens were replaced by armed guards, and the houses turned to identical, grey buildings with barred windows. A man taller and older than him, with the same black hair and grey eyes, stood straight, with a smaller woman next to him. Both of them had their hands cuffed behind their backs, and they were flanked by guards.

"Son," his father nodded at him sternly. "We'll see you soon."

The woman did the same. "We won't be gone for long," she promised.

They smiled at him sadly, as they were led into one of the buildings. His eyes widened.

 _Where are you going?_ he wanted to ask, _You've done nothing wrong. If you go in there, you'll never come back out._

But the words wouldn't leave his mouth.

They never did come back out either.

The scene changed again. The buildings turned to ashes, and the sunset sky faded away into a light blue. This time, he was standing alone in the middle of a desolated park. The trees seemed much taller now, and everything seemed much bigger. He looked down, to see that the ground was much closer to him too.

 _Oh,_ he realized. He was a child again.

He felt a sudden stab of pain, as his head was thrown to the side. He fell to the ground, coughing up blood.

The circle of thirteen-year-olds seemed to materialize out of nowhere. They surrounded him, pointed their fingers at him, and sneered at him. He gritted his teeth and swallowed back the tears, refusing to cry. He was done with crying.

An orange haired boy stepped forward, sniggering.

"Trash," he spat.

Before his features melded together, swirling into a vortex around his head, before taking on the new face of a man, with dark green eyes.

A face he knew all too well.

"Vasily," the man whispered softly. His eyes blinked once, but when they reopened, the green had disappeared, to be replaced by dark red.

 _The colour of blood._

"Why did you do that to them?" the man hissed.

 _Fire, blood, and tears._

* * *

Vasily woke up with a cold sweat dripping down his neck, his breathing ragged, and hands shaking. Instinctively, he reached for the knife on his bedside table, and gripped it tightly, knuckles whitening.

He looked around frantically, lessening his hold when he saw that he was alone, and was sleeping on his assigned bed.

"Just… a dream," he murmured, his voice raspy. "Nothing's happening."

There was a knock. "Vasily?" came Tia's voice. "Everything alright?"

Vasily stretched out his palms, trying to clear the memory of his nightmare from his head. His cheek throbbed with a phantom pain, where the boy in his dream had struck him.

"Vasily?" Tia called, a little louder this time.

"Coming!" he called. He walked unsteadily to the door, and straightened his posture, before twisting the door handle open.

"Hello, Tia," he greeted as calmly as he could, which was to say, not at all.

The black-haired girl was out of her waitress uniform, and was wearing a simple white t-shirt and dark, faded jeans. She looked him over, concerned. He tried his best to match her gaze with a serious stare.

"Yoki's looking for you," she finally said. "He's in his office, doing some paperwork."

 _Why would Yoki be looking for me?_ "Alright," he replied, "I'll see him at once."

Tia nodded, and then walked off.

Vasily grabbed the key to his room and left it, before shutting the door, making sure that it was locked. He turned the doorknob a few times, before setting off for Yoki's office, on the other side of the ship.

He walked into the leader's workplace, yawning wearily. The grandfather clock sitting against the wall was the only other object in the room besides Yoki's desk. The pendulum was swinging back and forth, with tick-tock sounds accompanying it. Vasily glanced at the three hands. 4:36.

 _Tick._ 4:37.

"Vasily," Yoki greeted, without looking up from whatever he was reading at present time. Rebel, his Castform, was leaning against his arm, snoozing away.

The leader had his head bent, but when he looked up to meet Vasily with his green eyes, the Butcher of Blank City flinched.

 _The man with dark, green eyes._

He assured himself that Yoki's eyes were many shades lighter, and relaxed.

"Yes?"

The leader frowned, as he twirled the pen in his hand repeatedly. Rebel was asleep next to his arm, snoring softly. "Did you sleep well?"

The dream came back to Vasily. For a moment, alarm flooded through him. The man's deep green eyes…he pushed it out of his mind.

"It was good," he lied, smiling cheerily. "I'm feeling refreshed and ready to take on whatever you have for me!"

Yoki nodded in approval. "Good. Nora and Taylen have both sent in updates."

The smile faded from Vasily's face. While Taylen was a figure he looked up to, he still had doubts about this Nora person. "What of it?"

Yoki looked at the paper worriedly. "There's been some...problems in Kanto."

"...Kanto?" Vasily felt his hands clench subconsciously. The dream. "What happened there?"

"New guy in town," Yoki grumbled. "The guards on duty don't know his name, but Nora says she's heard some people call him Aki."

He received a snort as a response. "A guy named Aki? How much trouble could he really be?"

"Our network in Velvet City has been completely eradicated," he resumed explaining, with a grim look in his eyes. "The Viscount personally hired the man to stamp out our forces there, and he did. Taylen is furious, partly because Velvet City was a vantage point, but mostly because whoever this Aki was, he didn't see fit to leave any survivors in his wake."

Vasily frowned. On second thought, maybe it really was a problem. "Let me guess. We've been approached to scout out for information surrounding this...Aki fellow?"

Yoki nodded. "Pretty much. And guess who's leading this mission?"

Vasily sighed. "All these missions… don't they seem a bit pointless?"

Memories of yesterday's events came rushing back, full-force. He had pushed one of the guards off his Fearow, and watched as the poor man plummeted to his death. The second guard thought valour the better part of discretion, and fled, leaving behind a trail of brown Fearow feathers.

He hadn't quite regretted the errant loss of life, as much as his conscience gnawed.

"I'm not saying I hate missions, but considering all we found from our last one was that Mae girl and her Vulpix," he shrugged, "I just don't see any real merit, since we're not exactly getting any closer to the King."

Yoki smiled at that. "The missions have a purpose."

"Just yesterday, you assigned us to cause a distraction—"

"Which went completely overboard." The leader laughed. "I'm sure I told you to keep the civilians out of it. And what happened?"

He rolled his eyes. "We weren't even told why Phantom needed to distract the enemy."

Another thought occurred to him just as fast. "Besides, why can't the rest of our faction in Kanto do it? I'm sure they'd be more than willing to get the job done."

Yoki leaned back in his chair and loured. "Taylen suspects he's already gotten the rest of the faction's names and faces from the database in Velvet, meaning that anyone there who can be trusted to tail him will be easily recognizable. Us, on the other hand, we're unknown wildcards, so we should be fine for the job."

Oh. Lovely. Vasily opened his mouth to speak, but Yoki cut off him off.

"The thing is, however, you're the one who's most suited for this mission, considering where he's headed for next."

At first, Vasily wasn't sure if he had heard the leader's words correctly. After a few seconds of silence, as the gears in his head started to turn, he felt the familiar feeling of dread and fear come back.

"W-What?" he said hoarsely.

Yoki smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry."

"Where in Kanto…?" A thousand images flitted across Vasily's mind. Images of boys laughing, images of him crying. They were all in black and white… replaying his sorrow.

 _The sound of a whip cracking across his back…_

"No! Just no! There is no way in hell I am going back there!" he roared furiously, his voice shaking. The memory of the dream made his legs tremble, making him lean against the wall for support.

Yoki looked uneasy. "It's been a year—"

"I am not seeing that place. Never again." _Dread and fear…_

"The mission-"

Vasily cut him off. "Get someone else." _Last night's dream…_

At the leader's side, Rebel stirred, disturbed by the noise.

" _What's...going on...?"_ she slurred drowsily.

Yoki stroked his Pokémon's head gently, while keeping his gaze on Vasily at the same time.

"This isn't a matter of what you want to do, Vasily," he told his fellow rebel softly. "It's for Phantom. Your efforts will be rewarded a hundred times over, when you see the King be toppled off his throne."

Vasily snorted in disgust. "No."

"Your tormentors are all gone. You told me the day you joined Phantom," Yoki reasoned pleadingly. "There's nothing there in Kanto for you to fear."

 _No. Not all of them are gone._ "I…"

 _Fire, blood, and tears._

Without saying another word, or even waiting for Yoki's reply, he turned around curtly, and trudged out of the room. He heard Yoki calling after him, but the pleas fell deaf on his ears.

 _The green-eyed man…_

"You…" he said aloud to himself. "You… won't ever get me."

When he was back in his own room, he collapsed on the bed, burying his face in a pillow. Instantly, the image of the green-eyed man came back.

 _Fire, blood, and tears._

The man in his mind gave a grotesque smile. "Vasily," he cooed, beckoning for him to come closer.

"You won't ever get me," Vasily vowed. "Never."

 _Fire, blood, and tears._

* * *

"...Mae..."

She could hear someone calling out her name in her slumber. But…who?

"Mae… Wake…"

And then she remembered, a split-second before her shoulders started to move.

With a start, Mae got up sleepily, only to cringe at the sight of her bedmate. "Ashley...Is this really necessary…?"

Ashley White was the resident eternal optimist, and a brunette. The Phantom member's big, blue eyes bored into her, giving her the appearance of a cartoon doll.

Not the best of the things to wake up to, that was for sure.

"Of course it was!" Ashley squealed gleefully. "It's morning! Which means…" She dragged out the last word, and looked at Mae expectantly.

"...The tour," she replied flatly, not sharing her new friend's enthusiasm. Her eyes were struggling to stay open, and Talis wasn't faring any better. The fox Pokémon's ears were twitching, and she had an irritated look on her face.

None of it mattered as Ashley beamed back at her. "The tour! Isn't this exciting?"

"What time is..." Mae tried to ask, only to yawn midsentence. "...It?"

"Six in the morning," was the reply. Complete unaware of Mae's dismayed reaction, Ashley continued, "Yoki told me to give you this."

She held out a pile of clothes, before moving forward to set them down.

 _Beige shorts, a short-sleeved white blouse, a white jacket, and a pair of black sneakers,_ Mae listed as she went through the pile, as Talis cocked her head, and sniffed the shoes.

"Yoki gave me this?" she looked at what were possibly the cleanest, most expensive pieces of clothing she would ever have the privilege to wear in her entire life. "Well...Tell him thanks from me…I guess..."

Ashley smiled happily. "No problem! We'll see you downstairs in the main dining room." She skipped out of the room, humming a lullaby.

To this, Mae frowned. If they'd have to go downstairs, she'd have to put Talis back into her new Pokéball. Yoki had told her that the ship was mostly free of customers in the early hours, but, better safe than sorry.

She pulled out her drawer, taking out the red and white device. The Vulpix hissed in annoyance, before a look silenced her, and she slumped her shoulders resignedly.

"In you go," Mae told her. Talis cringed when the red beam hit her, and then disappeared, drawn by the beam into the confines of the ball.

As she left the room in her new clothes, Mae tugged at her jacket uncomfortably. Her auburn hair had been cut so that it ended just below her shoulder blades, tied in a mid-height ponytail, and her feet and fingernails were no longer caked in dirt, thanks to the combined effort of Tia and Ashley, who, last night, had ganged up on her when they saw how messy and dirty she was. Together, they had unceremoniously picked her up, and dumped her into a bathtub, before running out of the room giggling, refusing to unlock the door until she had tidied herself up.

Mae mentally winced as the memory came back. She shook her head to clear it, and began to make her way downstairs.

The curtains were drawn, and sunlight was streaming in through the huge, glass windows. The red carpet had not a single speck of dust on it. In contrast, the bourgeois from the night prior had left stained tablecloths and half-eaten food behind, the remnants of which Mae saw.

Tia and Ashley were sitting at a table, with a thin, pale boy that she didn't recognize from yesterday. All three were dressed in varying levels of causality, ranging from a hooded jumper to a green camisole to a white t-shirt ( _unknown boy, Ashley and Tia,_ Mae noted) and we're eating their breakfast with great relish.

Besides them, there were about twenty people in the room, none of them as glamourous as the diners from yesterday night. Every one of them sat at a table, chatting animatedly to the person beside them, while Vasily was sitting in a corner, looking broodingly at the space in front. He and the others were also in fairly casual wear.

Ashley smiled when she saw Mae, and waved, beckoning her to come over. The brown-haired boy looked behind his shoulders at her, and she could see that half his head was shaved. She walked over, and seated herself beside Ashley.

"Hey, Mae," Tia said, stopping her conversation.

"Mae?" The brown-haired boy looked at her oddly. His hooded jumper and tattered jeans were dark with dirtiness. Now that she was closer, Mae could see that grey hadn't been its original colour. She wondered if Tia and Ashley would dump this guy into a bathtub too. "Oh, so you were the one who jumped out of the tower, huh? Hi there. My name is Tech."

Mae made a mental note to punch Gilan and Vasily later. Hard. "Yeah… I'm Mae."

"I'm sort-of the mechanic around here," Tech told her, pointing at himself proudly. "Ashley comes to me all the time with all the things she breaks. You can do the same if you have a problem; I'll fix it up, free of charge!" He bit on the last of the sausage on his skewer, which, on closer inspection, turned out to actually be a screwdriver.

"Hey!" Ashley whined. "I don't break things _all_ the time!"

Tia pushed a plate towards Mae. "Here you go. Ashley reserved this for you,"

She accepted it gratefully. It was a simple meal of pancakes, eggs and bacon, but it was better than what she usually had in Dusk City, which, honestly, applied to almost everything. Before she could tuck into the meal, however, she felt a hand grab hers, and pull her up from her seat.

"Guys!" Ashley shouted, having stood up from her seat and caused Mae to do the same. "This is Mae! Say hello!"

Her voice had filled the whole room, so everyone stopped their conversations to stare at them. Mae's face flushed as she felt the eyes of the others directly on her, before Ashley prodded her, urging her to say something.

"H-Hi," she stammered awkwardly, squirming under Ashley's grip on her arm. "I-I'm Mae...No last name."

She hissed at the brunette, looking at her pleadingly. "Let me go."

As to be expected, Ashley was oblivious to her discomfort. "She's our newest member! Gilan and Vasily brought her here after she jumped off a tower in Dusk City!"

 _Oh for the love of-_

Disregarding the need to sock Ashley for bringing that up again, and any future plans of getting back at Gilan and Vasily, Mae glanced at the restaurant's entrance worriedly, expecting a guard to strut in the moment Ashley's words left her mouth.

Instead, all she saw was Yoki, who was sitting at a table with about three other people. Returning the look, he nodded encouragingly and gave a thumbs-up. Gilan, who was seated at the same table as the Revolutionary, gave an amused snort. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vasily mutter something, while the other people seated smiled.

Even then, Mae could tell that not all the rebels liked her at first sight.

 _They're a resistance group,_ she told herself, _it's natural for them to be wary of people they don't know._

A girl with ivory skin and royal-blue hair, dressed in a pastel-pink crop top and jean shorts, with a white flower crown sitting on top of her head, shot up, knocking over the chair behind her. "I'm Orchid," she said, her hazel eyes sparkling. "Orchid Bloom! Sub-commander, Section B!"

She thumbed the girl beside her. "And this is Crimson, my boss!"

"Sort of. I'm Crimson Kaia," the black-and-red haired girl in the sleeveless dress echoed, giving a curt nod. "Vice-commander, Section B."

She moved her food around her plate, staring absently at it. Orchid sat down again, and whispered something excitedly to her. Occasionally, Crimson would say something back. Mostly, she just nodded.

"She's a fugitive from the King's justice," Ashley explained.

 _We all are_ , Mae realized.

A man in his early twenties was next. His brown beard reminded Mae of a guard she had mugged once, while his grey muscle shirt and dark green cargo pants reminded her of a bodubuilder. "Scott Bishop, Vice-commander, section C," he nodded. "But you can call me the Skybreaker. I'm here to give the King a taste of real justice. We'll storm his castle, and his head will be our gift to the commonfolk!"

His words were met with cheers and applause. _Are all Phantom members like this?_ Mae wondered.

There was a whistle. "Yeah, Scotty!"

"Skybreaker!" Scott roared.

"Skybreaker!" someone shouted.

"Skybreaker!" "Skybreaker!"

Ashley laughed. Tia and Tech joined in with the cry. "Phantom!" Other voices joined them, and soon, the whole room was alive with shouts of 'Skybreaker' and 'Phantom'.

In the midst of all of it, Mae stood there uncertainly. It was a wonder that the restaurant hadn't been stormed by guards already. Talis' Pokéball shook, and she touched it gently. She moved her gaze across the dining hall, looking at all the rebels shouting with determination and hunger. Hunger for the King's death.

"You have my word!" Scott promised, looking proud at what he had stirred. He grinned triumphantly at Mae, as if challenging her to question his ambitions. "For the Pokémon League!"

"For the Pokémon League!"

Yoki raised his hands for silence, and the voices died. "We'll cheer all we want after the King is gone," he told Phantom, closing his eyes thoughtfully and smiling faintly. "The King wears a crown of thorns. If the commonfolk rally behind us, the King's ultimate fate will be to die by the hands of Phantom."

There were more cheers. Yoki cleared his throat. "But for now, I think someone else wants the pleasure of meeting Mae." He tilted his head, and looked past Ashley and Mae, who turned around.

A lightly tanned girl with straight, dark brown hair, dressed in a dark top and red skirt, walked into the room with one hand on her hip. She had a confident air around her, and held her chin up proudly as her hazel eyes met Mae's own light lilac eyes. She was sort of like Scott, in a way.

"My name is Jenell Grace," the girl introduced, putting one hand on her chest and doing a small bow. "Some people call me the Flame Dancer… and I believe that it's my job to show you around."

"Jenell… Grace," Mae pronounced slowly, trying to memorize her face. "Show me around?" So that's what Yoki meant when he said she'd have a 'tour'.

After Jenell was done, more Phantom members introduced themselves to Mae, but none of them really stood out. She did remember their names - or at least, some of them. Some offered words of welcome, and some told her of what was expected in Phantom.

Before long, Mae's plate was licked clean and breakfast was over. One by one, the rebels began to leave the room, to go to their quarters or run an errand in the city. "Don't get lost!" Ashley said, as she and Tech prepared to leave. "I have to attend to some chores before our next training day out, and Tech has his mechanical friends and inventions to tend to. So yeah, guess we'll see you around. Bye, Mae!"

The brown-haired boy sighed. "I don't want to get scolded by Fritz, so I'll be leaving now. If you need any help, I'm always here." The mechanic held out a Pokéball with a blue top and two red sections. "My job is to modify Pokéballs every time someone goes out on a mission, so you'll definitely see me again."

He and Ashley made their way towards the stairs that led up to the rebel's private rooms. Despite Tech's thin frame, he didn't seem to have any discomfort or trouble with walking. Ashley was clinging to his arm, with a pout on her face. He was trying to shake her off, to no avail.

Tia got up as well, and dusted herself off. "If you will excuse me. I got a mission to be briefed for, so I shall take my leave." And with that, she, too, left.

Mae and Jenell were the last ones to depart. "The ship is big," Jenell said, breaking the silence.

"I didn't know that."

Jenell didn't even bother to tell her off for that comment. "The S.S. Chance used to bring trainers from Johto to Kanto and Sinnoh. She stopped after the King took over. You know, the guards here tried to seize her for the King's favour? Her crew were neutral during the conquest, so the King left them alone when he started his reign."

Ashley had actually told Mae all of this, the night before. "Why doesn't she operate like how she did before?"

"Travelling is too dangerous. The King outlawed keeping Pokémon as pets or companions. Trainers don't really exist anymore, so we'd have no way of defending her from the wild Pokémon in between the regions." Jenell scoffed. "The rich aristocrats who take vacations in other regions only board ships protected by guards."

Mae had seen guards beat ignorant children when they tried to feed the Pidgeys in the woods enough times to know that it was prohibited by the law to try to befriend Pokémon. "How do you guys avoid getting caught?"

"Tech does some stuff to our Pokéballs."

The vague reply didn't help at all. Mae wondered if Tech had a way to try to make Talis comfortable in her poké ball, before shifting the thought to the back of her mind as Jenell began walking, and she followed suit.

Their first stop was the lavatories used by the resistance members. Jenell pointed out the clean mirrors and floor inside the women's room.

"Who's the janitor around here?" Mae asked. "Who keeps the toilets clean and stuff?"

"Yoki reserves that job for punishments."

"...Oh."

"Look, I didn't know the raid was going to go _that_ badly!" a voice called from inside one of the stalls.

Jenell sighed, before yelling back. "You firebombed the Guide Gent's house in Cerise City, Michelle, and you know it! Now get back to scrubbing!"

A string of expletives followed, before Jenell closed the door on their 'janitor'.

"Sorry you had to hear that," she apologized, "But that's just how it is around here. Property damage usually gets punishments."

To this, Mae frowned. "So why does Rachelle or whoever she is have to clean there, but Vasily and Gilan get a free pass?"

The door to the men's room opened, as Gilan walked out with a mop and bucket. "Since when?" he snarked, before leaving by the door they had entered by.

Stifling in her laughter, Mae continued to follow Jenell as they walked, in much higher spirits. They went around the whole ship once, through a maze of corridors. There were cabins occupied by Phantom members, and abandoned rooms that used to house the passengers' Pokémon. Jenell kept up their conversation as they walked.

"We have a faction in Kanto, you know," she said. "A friend of mine runs the base there."

"Oh? A Kanto faction?"

"Maybe you'll get to see it one day." They walked past a window, and Jenell gazed out at the sky, looking at the cloud formations.

There was a deck out front, with tables and empty chairs. The flowers in their vase swayed in the ocean breeze. Below, at the entrance, she saw people queuing up to get into the restaurant. A member she couldn't (or more likely, didn't) remember was directing them to their tables.

"Members who don't have missions or aren't training are tasked with serving," Jenell explained. "I had to do that once when there was a wedding taking place here. A child wandered up into the upper rooms… and I had to drag him back down." She flushed. "He kicked, screamed, and cried."

Mae was staring at the sea, watching the waves appear. The mere sight of it always seemed to amaze her. "Sounds fun," she shrugged noncommittally, not quite catching what Jenell had told her.

"We have one more place to see."

Mae inwardly groaned. "Another lavatory?"

A faint smile touched Jenell's lips. "No."

Jenell led her past identical rooms, before stopping at a large, metal door with a fingerprint lock. She placed her index finger on the lock, and it slid open with a small, faint beep. "Our battlefield," she said, looking into the room.

When Mae stepped past the door, a warm sensation washed over her. Suddenly, she heard noises and shouts that she hadn't heard seconds before.

The room was lit by huge white lights built into the ceiling, spread across the whole room. The ground shook slightly… something else she hadn't noticed before. Below, under the raised platform she was on, was what looked like a battlefield from before the King's Conquest. On one end stood Gilan, who hadn't seemed to have noticed them, which was good. On the other end was a short, pale girl with chestnut brown hair, who looked like she around twelve years of age. Mae recognised her as one of the people who had introduced themselves. What was her name again? Grey? Grape? Gracidea…?

"You can't always rely on the sky, Grace!" Gilan shouted.

Oh. Yeah. Right. Her name was Grace. Just like Jenell's last name.

In the middle of the battlefield was a small bipedal Pokémon, with a round head, that had a silver blade extending from it. Its yellow eyes were glued on what was in the air – a red and orange bird.

"They're Gilan and Grace's Pokémon," Jenell commented, observing the battle. "Pawniard and Fletchinder; Screech and Robin respectively."

The battle seemed to be nearing its conclusion. Both Pokémon were mildly bruised, and Mae could see their chests rising and falling quickly as they gasped in air. The bird seemed to have the advantage here, considering its mobility.

It reminded her of Staraptor, and Mae instinctively shuddered, remembering the flight. Her heart felt like it had been in her throat when Staraptor caught her in its talons, leaving her dangling without having a hold on something solid.

Grace pointed to the Pawniard. "Robin, use Flame Charge!"

" _Okay!"_ The bird, Robin, gave a cry. She streaked down towards her opponent, enveloped in fire and leaving behind a trail of flames.

 _Like a comet_ , Mae thought. _One day, Talis will be able to use her fire abilities like that._

"Screech, dodge it!" Gilan commanded.

The dual steel-and-dark-type hopped back nimbly, avoiding Robin as she swooped down.

" _Can't let you do that!"_ he waved a knife-like hand mischievously.

" _I'll get you for that!"_

After missing her prey, Robin changed her course of flight an instant before she hit the hard floor, and was now gliding parallel to the ground. The fire died, and then she was just a normal Fletchinder again. The knife hands on Screech's arms glinted dangerously under the light.

Grace's childlike green eyes widened with realization. "Robin, up again! Now!"

" _Huh?!"_ she chirped, beating her wings urgently, desperately trying to return to her position in the air.

"Too late!" Gilan smirked, before barking out, "Metal Claw!"

" _Take this!"_

Unfortunately, Screech was faster. He leapt forward, slashing wildly with his blades at the bird, who screeched in pain as a claw struck her grey chest, throwing her down into the ground, throwing up a cloud of dirt.

"Robin!" Grace shouted worriedly.

Gilan crossed his arms in victory. "That would have worked if Screech was slower, but too bad, so sad, I guess."

When the dust cleared, Robin was lying on the ground with crumpled wings, chirping miserably. Screech was a meter away, standing with his hands crossed in a pose, looking coolly at his fallen foe.

" _Did you have to hit me that hard?"_

" _Did you have to combust into flames and charge at me? The answer to both questions is 'Yes', so shush, and let me enjoy my moment of glory."_

Grace held out a striped black and red Pokéball sullenly. "Back into your ball, Robin," she said. When her partner had successfully returned through the red beam, she tucked the ball away in its minimized state.

"Thanks, Screech," Gilan called. He did the same with a black and green Pokéball; a dusk ball, Mae noted.

It was then that Gilan noticed the two girls. "Hey Jenell!" he called, waving, before shifting to the same cool look as his Pokémon. "...Mae."

Jenell hopped down from the platform, landing gracefully. Mae did the same, remembering the countless times she had done this when she fled from the guards. It felt slightly different and lighter doing it with the shoes Ashley gave her, but it have her that slight burst of exhilaration all the same.

"So, what are you guys doing here?" Gilan asked, gesturing towards Mae.

"Yoki tasked me with the job of showing the new members- er, member, around," Jenell replied. She turned her head to Mae. "The S.S. Chance was fitted with a battlefield before the King came. We used it as a storeroom for a few months, but now, it's where our members test out their skills."

Grace joined them, standing next to Gilan. She was a few inches shorter than Mae. "Sometimes we go out onto Route 39, or the National Park, but mostly, we train here. Easiest place to be."

She gave a childish grin. "Do you remember me?" she asked excitedly. "I think we met this morning."

Mae nodded, electing not to mention that Grace's name had completely slipped out of her memory until it came back. "You and Robin are…good." She hadn't ever tried battling like that with Talis.

Gilan snorted. "You've still got a lot to improve on, though," he told Grace. She stuck her tongue out in defiance. "Your archery is great, but I'm trying to teach you to battle with your Pokémon...Yet all you do is fly circles in the air."

"You had Screech ready to jump up and slash Robin down," the twelve-year-old told him indignantly. "Mae! Gilan is a big, fat bully who picks on little kids." She pouted, and tried to pull a hurt face that reeked of deception, complete with puppy-dog eyes.

"We should throw him into the harbour!" Mae suggested. Grace nodded solemnly in agreement.

Gilan put up his hands defensively. "The King wouldn't just sit there and let Robin burn him to a crisp!"

"You two. Be quiet," Jenell snapped bluntly. Gilan and Grace froze, keeping their lips shut.

The Flame Dancer pointed at something high up in the air, close to the wall. Mae squinted. There was a perch, and on it was a green Pokémon with white wings. "That's Sentry, Yoki's Xatu," Jenell said. "She has a barrier up all around this battlefield. The ship won't move or capsize and the guests downstairs won't hear anything that goes on in here, but let's not take any risks with your loud voices."

Sentry the Xatu stood very still. She didn't seem very interested in the four rebels in the room.

Jenell pointed to the battlefield. "Why don't you send out Talis?"

"Talis?" Mae asked, slightly taken back. She dug out the Pokéball in her pocket. "Are we going to…?"

"We'll see what she can do," Jenell said.

All Talis could really do was shoot a few embers. Nevertheless, Mae threw the Pokéball into the air, the way she had seen other people do it. Talis appeared in a burst of white light.

" _Vul,"_ she complained, " _It's kinda cramped in there!"_

Jenell knelt down, and examined the fox Pokémon. Talis cocked her head at her, looking curiously at the eighteen-year-old.

"Another fire-type!" Grace said, excited.

Gilan had already seen Talis. "Oh, that's a Fire-type? I never knew," he said dryly. Mae slapped his arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"My hand slipped," she told him as casually as possible, before a hand smacked the back of her head. "Ow! What was _that_ for?"

"My hand slipped too."

Jenell stood up again before Mae could retaliate further. "Command her to use Ember," she said to Mae.

"Huh? Oh." Mae looked at Talis doubtfully. "Um, use Ember?"

Talis huffed in air, and a second later, she spat out three streaks of fire. They were nothing compared to what Robin had done earlier. Jenell jumped back slightly, avoiding the flames. Grace squeaked, enthralled, and Gilan bobbed his head thoughtfully.

Jenell frowned. She took out a white Pokéball (a Premier Ball, Mae remembered) and pressed the button. A white light shot out, taking the shape of a large, quadruped Pokémon. " _Arcanine,"_ he growled. Talis was staring wide-eyed at the huge, striped Pokémon.

Jenell pet his coat. "My lifelong partner," she said, smiling fondly. The Arcanine licked the side of her face. She laughed, before stepping back. "Pyro, demonstrate. Use Flamethrower!"

Pyro shot a glance at the small Vulpix at his feet, and bent his legs slightly, brushing his underbelly on the ground. He bared his jaws, and red flames appeared, licking his pointed teeth. With a mighty roar, a torrent of fire shot out. It was red, hot, and searing. The attack reached the other end of the room, before being extinguished.

Grace cheered. Mae gaped. Talis' gaze was fixed on the burnt, brown, circle that was imprinted on the wall where the Flamethrower attack had touched it.

"That's a Flamethrower?" Mae sputtered. "And I thought Robin's move was impressive…"

"Imagine roasting the King with that," Gilan said.

The fire-type turned around, without even looking tired. "Great job, Pyro," Jenell praised. Pyro growled playfully. " _You know it."_

Talis was standing again, determined. This time, she was imitating the Arcanine's stance. Mae watched as she bared her teeth the same way Pyro had done. A small burst of fire appeared, burning for a few seconds before dying.

" _Bluh, that didn't even make a lasting impression!"_

" _Kid, you got a long way to go."_

" _Don't call me kid, grandpa!"_

" _Hey!"_

The dispirited look on Vulpix made Mae ache inside. "You'll get it one day, Talis," Mae told her partner. "We can beat up Pyro after you get stronger!" She remembered making a similar promise the day Sprout Tower fell.

"We need to work on that," Jenell said encouragingly. "Spend a few hours each day using the same move over and over again. Grace and I will help you out."

"What about Gilan?" Grace asked.

Mae stroked Talis' fur. "He can bring us food and stuff?"

Gilan seemed disinterested. "As if."

* * *

Vasily was strolling outside on the ship's deck, basking in the cool breeze, Exile hovering by his side. No one had decided to eat out on the deck yet, so he was alone. The smell of the sea was ever present here, and he liked it that way.

He could see a part of the city from there. He saw Anson on duty, cheerily flirting with a passing woman. He saw children running around with kites, and their parents telling them to not get lost. The waves crept up onto the sands, and pulled back out to sea. People were running barefoot across the shallow water, laughing and splashing. He wondered how they could keep up such a façade.

" _Vasily, you appear to have...one, visitor. No. Two, visitors."_

Someone tapped him on the shoulder. "Vasily."

Turning around and seeing that it was Yoki, Vasily's mood immediately turned sour.

"What?" he grumbled.

"I hope you've thought about what I've said."

"I'm never going back to that place."

"But what about the innocent civilians that could die from this?"

Silence.

It was Yoki who had the next word. "Tia has offered to come along with you."

That took him by surprise. "Tia?"

"It'll be her second mission, I think. Having a fellow rebel with you will make this a lot easier." Yoki leaned onto the rail, and gazed out into the ocean. "Sentry will teleport you to Kanto, and you and Tia can take it from there. Once you find out who this Aki fellow is, report back, or wait on Taylen for further intel."

Vasily snorted. He didn't feel as angry as he had been this morning, for some strange reason. "Do I keep the civilians out of this?"

Maybe… maybe he could conquer what he feared.

 _What I fear…_

Yoki smiled. "Yes."

 _Don't back out now._

"Where are we going for this mission?" he asked, even as he knew the answer.

 _Dread and fear._

"Blank City."

 _Fire, blood, and tears._

* * *

It's commonplace to think that being scared of heights and being scared of flying came hand-in-hand. That's not necessarily the case, actually. While a person with a fear of heights would naturally have a fear of flying, the same could not be said for the reverse; a person with aviophobia may not necessarily be acrophobic.

It had been the case for Mae, and it was also the case for the sixteen year-old boy, currently perched on the back of a Pidgeot, and desperately trying not to scream.

Not that anyone would hear him this high up, anyways.

As Morgan hung on for dear life, his blond locks whipping haphazardly into his face, he tried to focus on what he had been thinking before he had set out.

 _What exactly would Fraternity want with me?_ he thought, _Aren't they only training recrui-_

That didn't stop the shriek that escaped as the Pidgeot veered to the left to avoid a low-lying cloud.

Meanwhile, Art was having a very pleasant conversation with the Pidgeot as he dangled from her talons, enjoying the cool air up high in the sky.

" _Let me tell ya about the time I blew up an old guy's house and got it blamed on some chick."_

" _Was this the one in Cerise City?"_

And the rest, as they say, is history.

* * *

 **Phantom**

 _ **The Revolutionary:**_ Yoki Kohzo, Rebel (Castform) and Sentry (Xatu) - _Condor-K_

 _ **The Flame Dancer:**_ Jenell Grace and Pyro (Arcanine) - _Heart of the Anime_

 _ **The Skybreaker:**_ Scott Bishop and ? - _RedArrowCrasher_

 ** _The Butcher of Blank City_ :** Vasily Volkov and Exile (Metang) - _Seth98_

Gilan Callaghan and Screech (Pawniard) - _emosewa13_

Tia Harmon and ? - _We're All Okay_

Tech and ? - _SentientPixel_

Ashley White and ? - _Isetba_

Orchid Bloom and ? - _LuvCherice_

Crimson Kaia and ? - _PokeFreak45_

Grace Elliot and Robin (Fletchinder) - _PokeThatPokémon_

Mae and Talis (Vulpix) - _Skittlinq_

 **The Crown**

Morgan Lockwood and Arthur (Mawile) - _SDproductions (yours truly)_

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _Well, this has been eye-opening. This marks the end of the pre-released chapters, and next chapter marks the start of my own content, but this time, I think I'll dial back down the number of introductions. Specifically, the next chapter will feature the first human-on-human battle scene, so, it's more of a test run than anything. Fingers crossed, but, eh._

 _Anywho, that's another wrap on this chapter. A review would be nice, although I understand if you're not in the mood to do so. Let me know what I can do better, or what you liked/hated. I'll keep in touch with you lovely people when I can._

 _That's all from me. Hope you continue to enjoy the Crusade. Cheers! (\\(OwO)/)_

 _Stay tuned to Chapter 4:_ _ **Engagement.**_


	5. Chapter Four - Engagement

_A/N:_

…

…

 _SKITT IS ALIVE! (*angels chorus*)_ _ **HAAAAAAALLELUJAH!**_

…

 _Well, to some extent, at least. Ahem, that moment has passed._

 _Now, back to your regularly scheduled chapter of PCC. Allons-y!_

* * *

 **Phantom's Crown: Crusade**

 **Chapter 4**

 **Engagement**

* * *

The Pidgeot soared downwards, descending close to the ground, before slowing down and hovering above the earth. Loosening the grip on her talons to allow her first passenger to drop onto the ground with a soft "thump", she leaned to the side in order to let her second passenger, perched on her back, to alight.

If one could define 'alight' as 'gracefully falling to the ground in a trembling heap', at least.

As Morgan twitched, still trying to overcome the feeling of vertigo he'd been trying to quell for the last hour, Art got up, before going over to his master, and rummaging around the small knapsack he had been carrying. Retrieving a few gold coins and a Pecha Berry, the Mawile dropped them into the pouch strapped around the Pidgeot, before saluting the bird, who did so in return.

 _"Thanking you kindly." "As to you."_

And with that, the Pidgeot took to the skies once more, flying off into the morning light, back to wherever she had come from.

As the blond-haired boy propped himself up on his elbows, he was greeted by the smirking face of his partner. Art seemed to be quivering slightly, as if…

"Go ahead," Morgan sighed, with a rueful smile, "I know you want to."

The Mawile proceeded to break out into a peal of raucous laughter, beating his small fists on the ground, both of his mouths guffawing at their trainer.

Shaking his head to rid himself of the last few stars in his eyes, Morgan got up. Dusting down the back of his cloak, he adjusted the light layer of chainmail underneath it, before smoothing down the shirt under that. Adjusting the silver brooch in the shape of an Aegislash, affixed to his cloak, that marked him as one of the prince's men, he gave himself a one-over. Satisfied with his uniform, he began stretching. The joints that had stiffened up over the flight unfroze themselves with a distinct 'pop!', and he let out a contented groan in return.

"Ah...Much better."

Checking to make sure the contents of his satchel were still all present (sans the payment), Morgan turned to his still-laughing Pokemon, and motioned for him to come along. "C'mon, Art, let's go."

Wiping a tear away, the Mawile ceased his laughter and leapt to his feet.

As they walked down the streets of Ecruteak, he checked the letter again. And again, he gleaned nothing.

"You would think that Fraternity would at least specify where they would want to meet me in Ecruteak..." He mumbled to himself.

 _"Mawile."_ Art replied. He knew his trainer couldn't understand anything he said in return, so he replied as neutrally in tone as possible just to see when he'd ever catch on.

"Yes, I know, Art, I need to be resourceful and find them myself, but still."

 _"Dingleberry. Heheh."_ Case in point.

"Well, yeah," he held the paper up to the sunlight, in the hopes of possibly revealing a hidden message or map, but again, to no avail, "Fraternity's still kind of a big group, so I probably should have found them by now."

"..."

"True, it's not like they'd give me a welcoming party or anything like-"

It was at this point that Morgan turned to his partner, who had gone unnaturally silent. Art had halted right in his footsteps, and was gulping with both mouths. They turned in synchronicity to confirm what Art had suspected and Morgan had inferred.

They had been followed.

* * *

 **A new challenger has appeared!**

 **[?], Morgan Lockwood VS The Parasol of Pain, [?]**

 **BATTLE: START!**

* * *

His hand immediately darted to the rapier by his side, as a flash of pink zipped by, tackling Art away from where he stood. Drawing his sword, Morgan brought it up lengthwise with both hands: one on the handle, one on the other end of the blade. He successfully parried the blow meant for his head; the lack of 'clang!' meant that whatever weapon his assailant was wielding had to have been made from something other than metal. But as his eyes finally registered what it was, the hook jerked backwards, as if to snap his blade in half.

Fortunately, his rapier was made from the finest steel, and it lived up to its sturdiness. As such, Morgan resisted the pull, and was about to follow up by freeing his sword-

Before the parasol launched forward instead, and the wooden handle smacked him upside the head.

A few metres off, Art kicked his assailant away from him, before leaping to his feet in preparation for battle. Sweeping his horn in front of him in a sign of aggression, Art glared at his pink-and-cream-coloured opponent in what he knew was an intimidating gaze, only to have it returned by piercing blue eyes, and a warm smile that would not have been out of place in the nearest nursing home or hospital.

Great. An Audino that wasn't even remotely fazed by him. He'd hoped for too much.

Sparing a glance towards his master, who had crumpled to the ground, Art turned his focus back to his opponent, and growled, _"I don't have a quarrel with you."_

The Audino continued to smile, preening one of her feelers, answering serenely, _"You may not, but nonetheless, I must test your strength. Or the lack of it."_

 _"...I_ _ **now**_ _have a quarrel with you. Your end is near!"_ Art snarled, flexing his fingers and snapping his second jaw for good measure.

 _"Then,"_ the Audino dropped into a sparring stance, _"You would best keep your hands off it."_

Shaking the stars out of his eyes, Morgan refocused on his surroundings, just in time to avoid another jab to his head, this time from the tip of the parasol. Kicking upwards, he deflected it away, before scrambling back to his feet, sword in hand, aiming the point at his aggressor, who had leapt backwards in response. A satin-gloved hand flicked a switch, transforming the parasol to its full length, whereupon it settled itself on the shoulder of its wielder.

Who, Morgan noted with astonishment, was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen in his life.

Lush, golden locks of hair trailed down across the back of her head, while two ringlets framed an oval face that was currently brandishing a smirk. A small, rhinestone-studded bow kept a short bang of hair from covering up her scarlet eyes, which met Morgan's brown eyes with a sneer. A long, tri-coloured dress of yellow, cream and pink clothed a slender body, finished off with a pair of opera gloves.

"...Who are you?" He ventured a question, still on his guard. Beauty did not always equal goodness, after all.

"That is none of your concern, Lockwood," she scoffed, "As if there was a need for you to know my name."

 _Great, so she knows_ _ **my**_ _name. That means she's..._ Morgan ran through the possibilities in his head. _Fraternity member? Possible, but unlikely. Assassin? Well, always possible. Jilted ex? ...Hold on-_

Any further thought was interrupted as the girl sprang forward, swiping in an arc with her parasol, in a move that would likely have broken one of his ribs, had he not parried it with the flat of his blade. Knocking it away, he thrust forward in an attempt to strike her hand and disarm her, but alas, she had been quick enough to deflect it. Aiming for a deliberate low blow, she pivoted her right foot up, only to meet open air as Morgan shifted backwards.

And she had picked a good day to wear high-heeled boots too. What a shame.

He spun on the heel of one foot, roundhouse-zoning the ground with the other. His aggressor jumped to avoid the low sweep, and brought the parasol down in an arc, aiming for his head once more. He ducked to the side, and pushed her weapon away with his shoulder, looking for an opening. Finding it, he reached in, and grabbed her right hand - with one firm squeeze, she dropped her parasol, which landed with a clatter upon the ground.

 _ **SMACK!**_

As her left hand found its target.

Morgan recoiled, keeping his opponent at swordpoint. He brought up his left hand, and gingerly touched his right cheek, which was now slightly red.

"Did you just...slap me?"

She picked her parasol off the ground, before staring at him, eyes brimming with rage. "Indeed I did! How dare you touch a noble lady with your bare hands! You ignored the rules of engagement, you scoundrel, and thus, you deserved that slap!"

Morgan sweatdropped. "E-Engagement?!"

"We are fighting, are we not?" she derided, drawing her umbrella back to full length, "Honestly, were you even educated at all, you cur?"

"Lady, no one ever uses the term 'engagement' to refer to a duel anymore!" He retorted, before guarding against her next strike. "And that has got to be a clear double standard!"

" _Chew on this!"_

Art swung his horn, now glowing with a reddish light, around, intending to catch the Audino off guard with a Rock Smash. To his surprise, she weaved to the side, dodging the attack effortlessly, before reaching out and grabbing him by the base of his horn.

 _"Hey!"_

Any further protest he could have put up was effectively silenced, when her ears flared out, and she let loose an unearthly scream. Having dialed up the intensity of the Hyper Voice, within seconds, the limp, unmoving form of one Mawile was being grasped in the hands of the Audino.

" _Pity...I would have expected more of a challenge,"_ she sighed, winding up a punch with her free hand to finish Art off, " _But I guess not all Pokemon are cut out for the job-Kyah?!"_

Had she paid more attention to her opponent, she surely would have noticed his fists clenching themselves. To be fair, she did notice - after said fists had delivered a crushing blow to each side of her head.

" _Hah! You got Sucker Punch'd!"_

And with that, Art made use of her temporary disorientation to flipkick himself away, using her head as a springboard. Landing on his feet, he dusted himself off, watching as his opponent nursed a sore head.

" _Resorting to such a cheap shot...you're despicable, you know that?"_ she glared, " _In a fair fight, you would have been unconscious by now."_

 _"Not much incentive for me to fight fair then, is there?"_ Art countered, hoping she would fall for it.

 _"...The fury of Tabitha Noble shall be known on this day."_

 _Perfect._

Tabitha, as Art decided her name probably was, snapped her fingers thrice. Around her, a trio of orbs started to form: one crackling with the yellow energy of a Thunderbolt; one pulsating with the red energy of a Flamethrower; and one crystallizing up into a frosty sphere.

" _Say your prayers."_

The Ice Beam shot out of the third orb so fast, he hadn't any time to dodge it, and Art hissed as the chill made contact with his stomach, before spreading throughout the rest of his body. He flexed once and slammed both open palms into the ground, shattering the layer of frost, before looking up to see Tabitha firing off more of those projectile bolts of elemental energy straight towards him.

 _"Upsy-daisy!"_ He laughed, pushing his legs off the ground and performing a handstand. His horn, facing her, started to move of its own accord, and began to rotate at a fast speed.

Pretty soon, the Fairy Wind picked up, and the sparkling gusts of wind barrelled into the energy bolts, ripping and dispersing them harmlessly apart. That done, he pushed off and landed on his feet again, before looking directly forward into the blue eyes of his opponent.

Evidently, she had moved forward to strike while he was distracted with deflecting her attacks, a fact Art only realized too late, as he stood there, dumbfounded. " _Uh oh."_

Tabitha smiled coyly, before hardening her expression and winding up a glowing fist. " _Begone!"_

The Return caught him square across the face, and for a moment, Art felt absolutely nothing. Then, the impact sent his small body off his feet, and he would have been sent flying far away-

Except he had jammed his horn into the ground.

As a result, his body did still fly, but thanks to the heavy grip on the ground, he pivoted around his second neck, spinning in an aerial circle.

Making it a literal case of what goes around comes around.

" _No, you begone!"_ he yelled, as his right leg glowed a spectral white coming back on the rebound.

The Iron Head, well, foot, caught Tabitha right between the eyes, and she was sent reeling backwards. The Audino stopped on her two feet, before collapsing to her knees, nursing a clearly wounded head with the mother of all migraines.

" _You...Wish..."_

For a moment, nothing happened. Tabitha's pained face scrunched up in confusion, as the star that normally circled her to signify the fulfilment of her move did not appear. She tried again, to no avail. Her Wish would just not...work.

" _Wish! Wish, curse you!"_

With her healing abilities disabled, she could only helplessly stare as the Mawile made his way over to her, laughing with glee.

" _What...did you do to me?"_ she heaved, groaning in pain.

" _What else did you think I did?"_ He wiped a tear away. " _I Taunted you."_

* * *

 _ **"Not much incentive for me to fight fair then, is there?"**_

 _ **"...The fury of Tabitha Noble shall be known on this day."**_

* * *

" _Sorry about that, heh."_ Art charged his fists with the brick-red power of a Rock Smash, before preparing to strike. " _Time to K.O. you now."_

" _Wait, please! Lunete sent me!"_

He paused just millimetres from her face. " _Lunete sent you? How do I know you aren't just bullshitting me?"_

She looked back at him with a knowing smile. " _Because I know your full name...Arthuria."_

Art flinched, before withdrawing his fist, the energy fizzling out as he did so. " _Crap, you're actually legit. Well, why the hell are you attacking me, then? If my big sis sent you, she sure as hell wouldn't want me injured."_

" _Well, I was...that is to say, Mistress Cordy asked me to test your strength, just as she is testing your master's."_

" _Cordy?"_ He folded his arms. " _What kind of silly name is Cordy?"_

" _What kind of silly name is Arthuria?"_

" _...Good point."_

Morgan cursed under his breath as he stepped backwards to avoid the downwards strike. Whoever she was, this girl was good.

Too good.

 _ **WHAP!**_

"Kft!" He felt the underside of his chin flare up with pain as the tip of the parasol clouted him on the rebound. But at least it gave him an opening; he brought both hands to clasp the sides of the parasol before it could leave his direct proximity, and sharply twisted it to the right, in an effort to wrench it from her hands.

To his amazement (and dismay), the girl simply twisted her entire body to match the movements of her arm, somersaulting and landing perfectly on her feet, before retaking control of her umbrella from his hands and swinging it in an arc, slamming the bulk into Morgan's shoulder painfully with another loud thwack.

Pushed to the side, Morgan took the opportunity to crouch down and swipe his rapier from its spot on the floor, having been disarmed himself a few minutes into the battle ago. Bringing it up quickly, he parried the blow meant for his face, and this time, he extended a leg and kicked the girl's right foot, hoping to throw her balance off.

Instead of skidding to the side or falling over, the blow caused her to shift her entire leg backwards, dropping into a magnificent forward split, as her parasol continued to bear down on his sword.

 _Oh come on!_ he mentally screamed.

"If this is the best you have, Lockwood, then you are a disgrace to your profession!" she mocked, before bending to the side and freeing her right leg to bring it forward.

Had Morgan not been so focused with dodging the kick to his legs, he would have noticed her tossing her umbrella up in the air. As it would turn out, he did notice - as she caught the end of the parasol, and its hook caught him around the neck. With one swing, she sent him careening to the side, while simultaneously unhooking itself to 'grab' his sword, flinging it out of his arms and towards a nearby wall, where it fell to the ground.

Losing his grip on his rapier again was seriously starting to get on his nerves.

Reaching into two holsters by his side, he pulled out a pair of silver daggers, which clanged against the parasol, once again stopping it inches away from his head. With one hand, he brought a knife down on the umbrella, expecting to cut it in half, but the blade glanced off the fabric as if it was a shield rather than a canopy.

 _...Reinforced? Tch._

With the other, he spun his knife around in midair, and slammed the pommel down on the parasol. The double-tap pushed it towards the ground, whereupon Morgan dove forward.

Forcing the flat of the first knife into her closed palm, he viciously twisted it. This has the effect he desired - he had forced her gloved hand open, prying her parasol from her grip, and causing it to clatter to the ground. Not to be deterred, she stepped on the hook with one leg, and pivoted to the left.

Flipping it back up into her hands with the heel of her, well, high-heels, she caught the tip of the parasol as she spun on the other heel, and swung the umbrella towards his head.

This time, however, Morgan was prepared. Ducking under the swing, he reached out with the base of both knives, and slammed them into her wrist.

"Kyah!"

She let go of the parasol, and her free hand clutched the area around her dominant hand. In that time, Morgan stepped on the parasol to prevent it from coming back up - ever - and moved in close.

"..."

Brown met red as Morgan stared into the eyes of his attacker's, two knives in a cross formation mere millimetres away from her neck.

"...You're way too nice for your own good." She stated flatly, rubbing her sore wrist, seemingly ignoring the sharp implements that, if any closer, would probably have killed her. "Had you attacked me with the ferocity you just showed when I first attacked you, I would not have been able to hit you so often, now would I?"

Morgan returned her look of contempt with a steely gaze of his own. "I'm not one for fighting, miss. I only brought out my knives when it was clear fighting fairly was only going to get me nowhere. Now please, stand aside, and let me be on my way."

Silence.

"...Teehee." Incredulously, she giggled slightly. "Then well fought, Lockwood. I suppose I was in the wrong to underestimate you. My sincerest apologies for everything."

"Apologies accepted- wait, h-hey, hold on! Underestimate me?!" He gasped, raising an eyebrow, as she smiled, "Just... _who_ are you, and why in Arceus' name did you attack me in the first place?"

"Fraternity sent me to test you, because I wanted to see for myself if you were the, how does the term go? Ah, the real deal," she said, much less coldly this time, "Suffice to say, I am mildly impressed - of course, I should have expected nothing less from the **Astral Blade**."

Morgan blanched. He was so sure he'd left that nickname behind in the academy, and no one was supposed to know about it. For it to resurface itself here, from a Fraternity member, of all places...

"I'm sorry, were you a classmate of mine?" he asked.

"No. Irregardless, congratulations. You have garnered my respect, if only a little, though keep in mind that it is not easily gained. But as for that welcoming party..." Her eyes gleamed, "You'll see."

He reddened. If she had been listening in to his conversation with Art, it meant he was growing lax in his personal security. Whoops.

Realizing he was still holding her at blade-point, Morgan lowered his daggers, and bent down to pick up the parasol, before returning it to the lady, who responded with a quick, "Thank you."

"Did you have to go so hard, though?" he asked in return, "I'm pretty sure the slap was unnecessary."

"It was a heat-of-the-moment thing. Seemed like the best thing to do to a pretty face like yours," was the response.

He wasn't sure whether to take that as a compliment or insult, so he put his mind off it.

Returning his knives to their holsters, he walked over and retrieved his rapier from where it had been knocked away, sheathing his sword. His eyes drifted towards his partner. Art was currently chatting to the still-unknown girl's Audino, Tabi-something-or-another, and judging by the looks on their faces, they were making pleasant conversation.

Morgan turned back to the girl, and asked, "So, what now?"

"Follow me. I shall take you to Fraternity headquarters. Come now, Tabitha, we shall proceed." She turned around, Audino now by her side, and began briskly walking down the road, presumably to another part of the city.

A tug from his trousers brought his attention to Art, who pointed a dark finger to his second mouth - their agreed code for ' _Feed it'._

"Yeah, yeah, I gotcha." Reaching into a side pouch, he tossed a handful of nails at the Mawile, who snapped them up in one giant gulp from his large mandibles. The pair of jaws seemed to automatically become shinier in the warm sunlight, as Art gave his master a thumbs-up to signify his contentment.

Now that it was settled, Morgan hurried after her, Art beside him; the *thud* of his combat boots matched the *click-clack* of her high-heeled ones rhythmically.

"Um, pardon me, but I never did catch your name, miss...?" His voice drifted off, as he caught up to her pace.

To this, she turned, smiled, and curtseyed, "Noble. The honourable Lady Cordelia Noble, as a matter of fact. Please remember it well, for I shall be duly requesting your assistance from hereafter."

"...Alright, then, _Lady_ Cordelia," he bowed in respect of her title, "It's a pleasure to be in your service."

"So it is," she beamed, "Try not to disappoint me, Morgan."

He allowed himself a grim smile. _Oh, dear Arceus, this can't end well for me, can it?_

* * *

"Blank City."

Vasily shuddered. "As expected. When do we leave?"

In response, Yoki smiled, before turning around to watch the civilians muck about their everyday business. "Not today, that's for sure. You have a few things left to do as section D's vice-commander - so in the meantime, rest a bit easier. Unless someone's changed it behind my back, today's a regular training day, and it's Scott's turn to take the kids out."

"Heh." Vasily grinned, a hint of malice in his eyes, "You know, I'm technically one of the 'kids' you're referring to, right?"

"Psh. Please." Yoki shrugged noncommittally, "Anyways, just take the day off or something. You're free to go. For now."

"You got it." Vasily bowed, before taking his leave, Exile in tow.

Seconds later, the Skybreaker himself, Scott Bishop, entered from one of the many doors. "Yo, boss!"

Acknowledging his presence, Yoki nodded back at him. "Morning, Scotty. You know what day today is, I presume?"

"Hell yeah, I do. Sure is a good day to go out for some good weapons practice in the great outdoors, ain't it?" he responded, brimming with energy.

"Absolutely." Yoki appeared to ponder something, before requesting, "Do me a favour, and take with you the new girl...Mae, was it? In any case, she'll need to learn the basics of defending herself, and I can't think of a better time than today."

Scott grinned, "Fine with me!"

"Alright then. One more thing."

Yoki strode forward, and clapped him on both shoulders. "Keep an eye on her too. Gilan may have earned our trust, but I don't think there's anything tying her to our side quite so soon. For all we know, she might just be a Crown spy amongst our midst."

Scott nodded in return. "Got it. I'll get Tia to do something about it, since she should be the closest to the kid in age and familiarity."

"Should be good. You know where you're going, right?"

"Usual place?"

Yoki nodded. "The National Park."

* * *

 **Phantom**

 _ **The Revolutionary:**_ Yoki Kohzo and Rebel (Castform) - _Condor-K_

 _ **The Skybreaker:**_ Scott Bishop and ? - _RedArrowCrasher_

 _ **The Flame Dancer:**_ Jenell Grace and Pyro (Arcanine) - _Heart of the Anime_

 _ **The Butcher of Blank City:**_ Vasily Volkov and Exile (Metang) - _Seth98_

Gilan Callaghan and Screech (Pawniard) - _emosewa13_

Tia Harmon and ? - _We're All Okay_

Tech and ? - _SentientPixel_

Ashley White and ? - _Isetba_

Orchid Bloom and ? - _LuvCherice_

Crimson Kaia and ? - _PokeFreak45_

Grace Elliot and Robin (Fletchinder) - _PokeThatPokemon_

Mae and Talis (Vulpix) - _Skittlinq_

 **The Crown**

 _ **The Astral Blade:**_ Morgan Lockwood and Arthuria (Mawile) - _SDproductions_

 _ **The Parasol of Pain:**_ Cordelia Noble and Tabitha (Audino) - _SDproductions_

* * *

 **SD's Battle Notes**

This section is...well, it's certainly not exactly original. I credit _**Nightfall-sensei**_ for the idea, though it's going to be...something-something-a little bit like an archival page for all weapons/Pokemon seen insofar. It's like what you call a battle log - a record of everything that's been shown, as a way for me and probably all of us to keep track - a little insight into the thought process I undergo to portray each weapon and Pokémon.

...I'll just get on with it. Better to show, not tell.

Weapons

Rapier: Crafted from metal taken from the chipped-off skin of a Steelix, Morgan's rapier is deceptively strong and sturdy, yet light, weighing only eight hundred grams. The blade itself is double-edged, a metre long by two centimeters wide at the hilt, thinning out towards the top. The base is rounded out by a fat, domed pommel, designed to serve as protection for his hand, and it joins the blade and grip, which is made of plain metal.

Daggers: Forged with silver, both knives weigh in excess of two hundred grams each. They are double-edged as well, twenty centimetres long by one-and-a-half centrimeters wide at the hilt. Morgan's in particular are based off the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife.

Parasol: Cordelia's parasol is built like your typical ordinary parasol, with a metre-long, fully metal rod and stretchers under the canopy, along with a curved, crook handle, and a blunt tip. The parasol fabric itself is made of waterproof silk, interwoven and reinforced with a light coating of platinum. As such, while it is more weighted, weighing six hundred grams, it can pack quite a punch, and is highly durable as well..

Pokémon

Mawile: Fifty-two centimetres tall and weighing in at ten kilograms, Art's comparatively smaller and lighter than other Mawile; justifiable, as his mental age in years would amount to about fourteen at present moment, meaning he's still growing up. He's still quite the competent battler, however, and relies on powerful moves and unconventional strategies to win his battles. Over all else, he truly has fun when he's on the field of fire.

Oh. And his full name really _is_ Arthuria. But try not to mention it too much around him.

Audino: Tabitha, on the other hand, is a very powerful, if very inexperienced, sorceress. Standing at exactly a metre tall and thirty kilograms in mass, she's a flower in bloom - she's only thirteen years young, and has much more potential to grow. Having learned a myriad of attack and support options from the best tutors, however, she's a strong force to be reckoned with. Her tactics are commendable, though not exemplary, and she makes use of her diverse movepool well.

She would like to kindly remind you that her tail doesn't taste sweet though, no matter how cream-like it looks.

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _So that's that. The first 'new' chapter, and a glimpse into the craziness that goes on within the depths of my mind._

 _It's less stellar than I'd rather have it be, unfortunately. Pacing issues. Hand moves before my brain catches up. The works._

 _In any case, woohoo! A thousand views this fast was certainly something I didn't quite expect - and I have you guys to thank for it. I apologize for this chapter focusing primarily on both of my OCs, but it's for a good cause (and not because I only have the technical capacity to write their battle styles- okay, fine, it was because of that). I'd like to think that I'm perfectly happy with this chapter, but admittedly, it's a bit short for my tastes - I'm sure I could have written more, but in both cases, it seemed like a good place to stop at. In any case, say hello to Cordelia, the second of my precious little OCs. Heh._

 _Anywho, that's another wrap on this chapter. A review on the new style and tone of writing, along with the flow of the battle, would be nice, although I understand if you're not in the mood to do so. Let me know what I can do better, or what you liked/hated. I'll keep in touch with you lovely people when I can, and keep on improving myself - though I don't know when I'll ever have this much time to write again._

 _That's all from me. Hope you continue to enjoy the Crusade. Cheers! (\\(OwO)/)_

 _I'd tell you to stay tuned to Chapter 5:_ _ **Fraternity...**_

 _But for now, there's something I must do._

* * *

 _ **Dedicated to Iwata Satoru-sensei.**_

 _ **December 6, 1959 – July 11, 2015**_

 _ **Without him, the world of Pokemon as we knew it would never exist.**_

 _ **And I'd never have the courage to pick up a pen and start writing.**_

" _ **All lives...touch other lives...to create something...anew and alive."**_

 _ **Thank you, Mr. Iwata, for everything. We, as the world, will miss you. Indubitably so.**_

 _ **Your legacy will live on. We'll make you proud.**_

 _ **For now, rest in peace.**_

 _ **Owari.**_


	6. Chapter Five - Fraternity

_A/N:_

 _Uwaaaaaaaaaaaa! I'm back at long last!_

 _*tumbleweed*_

 _Guys? Hello? Anyone there...?_

 _I kid. I know you're there. I think. Um._

 _..._

 _Well, anyways, special thanks to **The Jester of Magvel** for the awesome review! Seriously, I'm gonna frame that up somewhere. ***searches for framing pins***_

 _ **'I think the only story I've seen that's better is ScytheRider's Silver Resistance.'**_

 ** _*proceeds to party*_**

 _Ahem. I'm calm._ _Now, on with_ _your not-so-regularly scheduled chapter of PCC._ _Allons-y!_

* * *

 **Phantom's Crown: Crusade**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Fraternity**

* * *

 _Dear Prince Kingsley,_

 _I hope this letter finds you in good health, my liege._

 _Onto the point. It has come to my attention that members of Phantom have been spotted gathering at the National Park in west Johto. According to our reports, they regularly frequent the area as a training ground, and this morning, one of our sentries caught word that a small entourage of Phantom members were seen moving out towards said location._

 _Fraternity will be moving in to engage them directly. We shall attempt to capture as many of them as we can, in order to extract information about Phantom's whereabouts, thereby benefiting our ongoing search into the location of their headquarters._

 _This mission will involve all current members, and will be overseen by your Right Hand. His sanction is indicated with the signature below-  
_

* * *

She paused. The nuzzling of steel-hard carapace against her leg had stopped her.

" _Lairon."_

A braid of light-blonde hair trailed off the edge of the desk, as the nineteen year-old woman bent down to pat her partner. Caressing the helm of his armour plating, she smiled as he yawned happily. "Rest up, Aeon. We're going out soon, so you need all the energy you can get."

" _Okay…*snore*"_

Amused by her partner's actions, she shrugged goodnaturedly, before returning to signing off the paper.

A knock.

Her electric-blue eyes flitted to the door that led to her temporary office from the main hall. Grumbling slightly at being interrupted again, she nevertheless put on a smile.

"Come in."

The door hadn't even opened before a Chandelure came phasing through it. Moments later, its owner closed it behind him, before bowing slightly. "Taryn."

"Glenn." She replied coolly. "What news do you bring?"

"...Noble and the prince's lapdog are arriving." He whined. "Goddamnit, did we really have to send for him?"

"Oh?" Taryn raised an eyebrow. "I sense you still harbour some animosity for him."

Glenn blanched, before gnashing his teeth. "What do you mean?"

 _Stubborn and in denial as a Throh, he is._ She thought. "I haven't forgotten our time in the academy, you know. You declared Morgan to be your archnemesis." Taryn paused, before adding as an afterthought. "Though he never could be bothered to return the favour."

"It's not because of that!" He half-shouted. "You know very well that pansy made people rebuild the freaking Sprout Tower - do you honestly think he'll authorize a practical cease-and-desist like this?"

As their owners were talking, the Pokémon were having a small conversation of their own.

" _Asleep on the job?"_ The Ghost-type between the two leered. " _If I was an enemy, you'd be a pile of smoking scrap metal by now!"_

Aeon the Lairon opened one sky-blue eye, before closing it as soon as he realized who it was. " _Go away, Wisp."_ He grumbled.

Wisp the Chandelure did exactly what you think she'd do - she didn't. " _Aw, is the widdle doggy in need of some naptime? You know, I_ _ **could**_ _put you to sleep."_

" _Keep your arms away from me."_ He added tiredly. " _I'm not in the mood to get my lifeforce burned away, thank you very much."_

" _Aw, no fun! Here, lemme just-"_

"I don't see your point." Taryn folded her fingers, watching as her subordinate's Chandelure tried to bring its arms closer to her Lairon, before Aeon swatted them away almost lazily.

 _Nice one,_ she cheered internally, before resuming her neutral tone of voice. "You and I both know that he will stand to see reason in this act. Not only will it benefit our intelligence network, if it turns out to be a success, our reputation in the eyes of the king will boost greatly, wouldn't you agree?"

The thoughts of lavishly living in his own private mansion were enough to make Glenn pause, and a faint smile crossed his face, before his ash-grey eyes scrunched up. "Feh. I still think it's a suckish idea," he toyed with a few caramel locks of his hair. "Why don't we call for the Left Hand instead?"

Images of a young woman with black hair in a high ponytail came to the forefront of Taryn's mind. "Harker?" she raised an eyebrow. "Why-"

"Hug her?" he pursed his lips. "That would probably get me thrown in jail, and the rest of my privileges revoked!"

"No, I mean...Nevermind." Taryn groaned, and pressed two fingers to her temple. "Just, please, Glenn, I'm your superior. I trust in Morgan, so you'll just have to acquiesce."

To her immense relief, he relented, though not without a grumble of his own. "Fine. Any more outstanding orders?"

A smile crept onto her face. "Please get the twins in preparation for a 'class reunion'." She waved him off. "Imperatively."

"Yes, madam." He bowed stiffly, before turning on his feet. "Wisp, let's go."

" _D'awwww! But I haven't sent anyone's souls to oblivion yet!"_ Pouting - which must have looked really weird on a Chandelure - slightly, Wisp followed her master to the door, upon which she crashed right into it. " _Whoops! Forgot my ghostie powers!"_ Turning semi-translucent, she phased through the wall, and that was that.

" _...Good riddance."_ In a few moments, the sound of gentle snoring could be heard once more.

 _You'd think someone would drop a two-year grudge from when they were fourteen, but I guess Glenn's just too boneheaded that way._ Taryn swivelled in her seat, facing the windows that provided some measure of sunlight into the room. _I wonder how much he's changed, though._

Another knock. "It's Cordelia, Miss. I've brought him."

She beamed. "Come in."

* * *

 _When the League was overthrown, its members had two options - flee, or stay and be imprisoned for the rest of their foreseeable life. Predictably, many chose to escape - many of them found themselves seeking refuge under the Ranger Union in the various regions they operated in. Chairperson Hajime 'Kellyn' Hinata has declined to comment on their current status, issuing the statement that 'we are presently unable to reveal their whereabouts, for we have agreed to an oath of silence in order to protect them'._

 _Some, however, are known to still be in the principal regions, though where exactly, is another question entirely. An example of such a person would be the Ecruteak City Gym Leader, Mortimer 'Morty' Matsuba. He is currently believed to be somewhere in the Johto region, hiding together with the famed Legendary Beast researcher, Eusine-_

* * *

" _Huh. And I thought this story took place in a different universe. Didn't know Coony's stalker still existed over there."_

 _Azelf frowned as his narration was interrupted. "I'm pretty sure we exist in the Crusade-verse too." He explained. "For all we know, maybe the Suicune there is different from our Suicune."_

" _Fair point." Mesprit agreed. "Alright, let's continue."_

" _With pleasure." Jirachi took another sip of coffee._

* * *

Morgan finished replaying that particular history lesson in his head at about the same time he stepped into the former Ecruteak City Gym.

 _So this is where Fraternity set up their headquarters, huh?_

"That is correct, yes." A voice jarred him out of his thoughts. Jumping slightly, he calmed down once he realized who it belonged to.

"You appear to have a habit of speaking out loud, Lockwood." Cordelia raised an eyebrow. "Not very becoming for someone such as you, I would think."

He reddened. "I'm still trying to kick the habit."

"Not very successfully, it would seem," she wrinkled her nose. "If you wish to truly rid yourself of such uncouth mannerisms, I suggest you put in a little more dedication towards it." And without giving him a chance to reply, she walked onwards into a brightly-lit hallway.

"What side of the bed did she wake up on?" Morgan muttered to himself, following right behind, his cloak swishing behind.

Reaching a door on the furthest end of the hallway, she rapped her knuckles against the wood once.

"It's Cordelia, Miss. I've brought him."

A firm yet pleasant-sounding voice sounded from inside. "Come in."

With a look, she turned the doorknob and stepped in. "Cordelia Noble, reporting in. I present to you the clearly magnificent Astral Blade-"

"H-Hey! I'm not that arrogant to need to introduce myself with that title!"

He had barged in to quickly clear his name (and pride - or the lack of it) to the inhabitant of the spacious office. He had expected to apologize profusely for the sudden inclusion of his epithet, upon which the addressee would have to hold him in a higher regard than he was otherwise comfortable with, completely missing the sarcasm Cordelia had injected.

What he had not seen coming was the genial laugh that came from the chair behind the desk.

"So you've stayed changed. Not bad. Not bad at all, Morgan."

The chair swivelled around to reveal a pale-skinned blonde woman, with hair tied in a long braid that fell to her stomach. She was dressed in light armour, wearing a silver hauberk over a black t-shirt, as far as Morgan could see from her waist up, and looked very athletic and muscular, to say the least. Her stormy-blue eyes radiated confidence, though there was a certain light in them that spoke of...amusement?

But the thing that struck Morgan the most about her was that she seemed oddly familiar. Almost as if-

 _Click._ Everything fell into place. "Miss Riordan!"

"Please, call me Taryn," she replied pleasantly. "I am no longer your instructor, Morgan - unless you would rather I address you as Sir Lockwood instead, in light of your current position?"

"N-No!" he stuttered, flustered, "I'm just- It's been so long since we've last talked, Miss Rior- Taryn!" he bowed hurriedly. "I'm just really, really happy to be able to meet you again!"

"That makes two of us." She nodded, smiling. "How have you been, Astral Blade?"

"I've been doing fi-" He cringed and stopped halfway as the realization sunk in. "Oh, so _that's_ why she-" he thumbed Cordelia, who glowered, "-knows about that nickname! You told her!"

"Guilty as charged. How could I ever forget the Absolute Astral Blade and his Estoc of Eternity, after all?"

The very change in expression he had caused Taryn to chuckle. She felt a little bad bringing it up, but, in her defense, this was one of the few things she could find humour in.

Flustered, Morgan begged, "Miss Rior- T-Taryn, please, I ask that you never bring that up again…"

"Don't worry, you have my word," she tilted her head slightly, "On my honour as a commander under the Crown, I promise that I will refrain from bringing the nickname up without reason. However, you probably should not expect them to do the same."

"Them...?" Morgan shifted his gaze to the other girl in the room, who was leaning against the closer of the two walls, servicing her parasol - no doubt from their earlier skirmish.

"Don't look at me, you fool, she obviously means the rest of our associates." Cordelia snarked, continuing her maintenance.

"Who?"

The door behind him opened, as Taryn nodded to the newcomers.

"She means us, actually." A male voice.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it?" A female voice.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." A second male voice, deeper than the first.

 _Oh, you can't be serious!_ was Morgan's immediate thought, turning around further to validate his assumptions.

The first male, the one with the deeper of the two voices, was stout, and looked pretty muscular under the dark purple tuxedo he wore. A violet bowtie, over an ashen dress shirt and similarly-coloured loafers that matched the colour of his eyes, finished up the rest of his outfit, while his hair was caramel in colour, and neatly combed.

The other male appeared to have a forest theme going on - he was wearing a brown hunting vest over an olive-green tunic and pants, with a black belt around the middle and a metallic bracelet stylized with a collection of runes around his right wrist for accessories, and brown ranger boots. A mop of shamrock-green hair made the seafoam streak across his fringe stand out, while dark graphite eyes contrasted with his fairer skin.

The sole female between the three had similarly shamrock-green hair, grey eyes and fair skin, though she instead had several white streaks running across her head, up and through the high side ponytail she had tied up to the right. She was wearing a sleeveless, high-collared white shirt with green borders, and a pair of pearl-coloured opera gloves much like Cordelia was currently wearing, exposing her lean biceps. A white skirt-cape encircled a smaller fern-green skirt, black stockings and white moccasins, while her left wrist featured a similarly-runic bracelet.

Both males were about the same height as the blond, while the female was a few centimetres shorter.

And unlike Taryn, Morgan had no problem recognizing who they were on sight.

"Lynae! Lucas!" He hugged her, while offering a fistbump to him. The latter returned the gesture with a whoop, while the former squeaked in surprise, before hugging him as well. "Long time no see, Morgan."

Letting her go, Morgan turned to the last guy, before inclining his head slowly in a small nod. "Callaghan." He greeted.

"Har har, very funny, Lockwood." Glenn flipped him off. "I get the silent treatment while you get all buddy-buddy with the Valedin twins-"

A smack to the back of the head cut him off. "Shush." Lynae turned her nose up at him, while Lucas laughed on in the background. "Have some respect."

"Still, it's really great to be able to meet you guys again! How have you all been?" He turned from one to another. "It's kind of strange how all three of you happen to be here to meet me at the same time; were you guys all in the area or something?"

A moment passed, before all three burst out laughing.

"...Is there some kind of inside joke I'm not privy to?"

From the corner of his field-of-view, he saw Cordelia scoff. "Clearly, I overestimated your acumen, Lockwood. I mentioned earlier that I was bringing you to Fraternity headquarters - obviously, your 'friends' and I are members of it."

"Hang on, _you're_ members of Fraternity?" He inquired, surprised. "I thought they were looking for recruits to train, not graduated soldiers."

"That's what they all think." Taryn said from behind him. Turning around, he watched as she got up, walking over to a framed certification on the far wall. "But then again, nobody expected me to be their head either. You're an exception since I've taught you personally, but otherwise, I doubt anyone believes that the Iron Lady would be the leader of the youngest elite group of soldiers the Crown has to offer. We have to keep up an image of deception, after all."

She turned to him, eyes gleaming. "Which brings me to the reason why I've called you here. Fraternity is going on a particularly important mission this time - we are to be engaging a squad of Phantom members."

Memories of the day before returned to Morgan. He remembered watching as the corpses of the two guards who had perished in the fall of Sprout Tower were loaded into a carriage, to be taken back to Kanto for burial, and sighed heavily. "What does the mission entail?" he asked, with the reluctance evident in his voice.

"Hm? Why the long face, Lockwood?" A hand grabbed his shoulder roughly. "Are you telling me that the Astral Blade can't bring himself to take down the very thorns that pierce our Crown?"

"...It's not that," was the response. "If this mission has what I think it does, I'm...unsure of whether to authorize this mission."

"Aw, come on! You-"

"Leave him be, Glenn." Taryn ordered, and the aforementioned male stopped, before backing away. She, in turn, sighed as well. "You're afraid for our safety, aren't you?"

It wasn't a question - it was a statement.

The silence that followed was uncomfortably solemn, before Lucas took one look at his twin sister, and they nodded in unison.

Reaching forward, Lynae placed a comforting hand on Morgan's shoulder, and gave it a tight squeeze. "It's alright, Morgan. We're not the same novices we were two years ago - we won't fall to Phantom, I promise."

"Yeah, man, I mean, come on!" Lucas whooped. "We're Fraternity, the most badass under-20 crew in the whole of Johto! We can't possibly lose to a group of ruffians and outlaws, now can we?"

"As much as I hate to agree with them on anything, he's right." Glenn crossed his arms. "What's there to worry about? Certainly not any of us - unless you've forgotten, we're trained professionals."

Morgan looked at the three of them, before turning to the other two women in the room. Taryn was searching for something in a drawer, so she was not directly looking at him. In contrast, Cordelia was eyeing him with a look of distaste, though there was a certain glint in her eyes.

He exhaled. "I'm sorry… but I can't authorize it just yet."

Sensing the giant slump in atmosphere in the room, he threw up his hands helplessly. "I'm sorry I'm such a letdown, guys...Can you give me a bit of time to think?"

"I was expecting that to happen, to be honest. You haven't changed a bit, which both reassures and slightly worries me."

Withdrawing a Premier Ball emblazoned with a heart from the drawer, she set it on the table, as Morgan reacted in surprise. "Perhaps you might want to think it over a little bonding time? I believe a reunion is in short order."

"Miss Riordan, how-"

"Taryn." She nodded to Cordelia. "And I had Noble bring it down with her when she left from Goldeneye City. Nora sends her regards."

"I see..." Ignoring the curious looks from the other four, he gently picked the Premier Ball up. "Is...there somewhere quiet I can afford to go to right now?"

* * *

As Art rematerialized in the human realm, he looked around. _Not in the street anymore,_ he thought, _Some kind of storeroom. Rope, floor polish, paper clips, more ro- PAPER CLIPS!_

Before the Mawile could pounce on his species' version of gummy bears, the sound of another Pokémon being released from their Pokéball filled his ears. Turning around quickly to avoid another repeat of that morning's events; one surprise from a certain Tabitha Noble was damaging to his pride enough - he didn't need nor want a second ambuscade.

Unfortunately, that did not stop him from being tackled by the black-and-blue (and most definitely not white-and-gold) blur that barrelled into him, sweeping him off his feet.

Unlike the last time, however, he embraced this assailant - who wouldn't take the chance to hug their own sister?

" _Lunete!"_ he cheered, nuzzling into the Pokémon's fur. " _I've missed you so much!"_

" _As have I, Art! I've been wanting to see you again so bad, lil' bro!"_

Landing safely on the ground for him to get off, she groomed her fur with the claw at the end of her wings. Her fused ears and heart-shaped snout perked up as Art hugged her again, and she released some positivity sound waves in return.

"Well, look at that. You look good as new!"

A hand patted her affectionately, and Lunete squeed. It was none other than her trainer, Morgan, and he also had a big smile on his face. "Feeling much better after your recovery?"

" _Of course I am!"_ she responded, before remembering that he couldn't understand her.

Feeling the joyous sensations from her resultant vibrations, he ruffled her coat. "It's awesome to see that you're back to full fitness...Your tail is alright, right?"

Glancing down at her pride and joy, Lunete winced as she gingerly unfurled it. The ends were still raw-red and blistered - the mark of a wound still in healing.

" _That damned Arcanine mongrel…"_ Art clenched his fists. " _When I get my hands on him again, I swear to Arceus I'll-"_

A wing to the mouth quieted him down. " _Peace, Art,"_ Lunete admonished, " _What's done is done - getting injured is part of every Pokémon's life. What matters is that we find the strength to keep on going."_

She paused, before angling her head, Art alongside her, to turn to their master. " _Speaking of getting injured, Morgan, I sense some disturbance within you. Will you share what it is?"_

" _...He can't understand ya, sis."_ Art deadpanned.

" _Right...My bad."_

Sensing the gazes of his two closest confidants on him, however, Morgan got the message.

"It's hard to explain…" He sat down. "I'm just...afraid. Of losing any of them. All over again."

Without realizing it, his finger was tracing a familiar letter into the storeroom floor. At least, familiar to him - neither Art nor Lunete had any idea why a double-curve sigil was important enough to draw whenever he was nervous.

"You saw the destruction Phantom pulled back in Dusk City, Art," Morgan turned to the black-and-yellow Pokémon, "It was hard enough that I had to dictate the letters to the families of the fallen guards but…"

A sigh escaped his lips. "But what happens if it's _their_ letters I write next? I don't think I could ever live with myself if I knew it was my authorization that-"

Before he could continue any further, a paper clip smacked him dead-center on his forehead. Recoiling slightly at the sudden jolt, he looked across from him, where Art was now currently munching on a few paper clips.

He raised a nearly-imperceivable eyebrow. " _You done?"_ he asked while chewing, prompting a swift reprimand from Lunete. " _Don't talk while eating, Art-"_

"What is it?" Morgan responded, before a paper clip was flung towards him again. Only this time, it bounced off something near his neck with a metallic 'clink'.

Reaching to see what it was, he looked down at the Aegislash brooch between his fingers.

* * *

" _Do you swear to face hardship with the knowledge that you may lose those you love in the process?"_

" _I do."_

* * *

The oath rang through his mind, and he looked up to see both of his partners with crossed arms (or wings), looking at him expectantly.

"...You're right as always, guys." He got up. "I need to stop playing it too safe. None of us got where we are just by hedging bets."

A smile crept onto his face. "Thanks, guys. I needed that reminder." He reached forward, bending down, and brushed their heads affectionately once more. "Let's go back and bring the fight for them to Phantom."

Lunete smiled, as the waves of newly-positive energy washed over her. " _I daresay we shall."_

" _Hell yeah! Anything to get to pound more rebels into the ground!"_ Art cheered.

Morgan tilted his head to the side, with a sheepish grin. "Actually, about that…"

* * *

 _This mission will involve all current members, and will be overseen by your Right Hand. His sanction is indicated with the signature below._

 ___ _M.C.L_ ___

 _Under his authorization, we shall proceed forth with the ambush._

 _May the light of the Crown continue to shine forth._

 _Respectfully yours,_

 _Taryn Riordan_

 _The Iron Lady; 2nd Acting Officer, Head of Fraternity_

* * *

"That should be in order, I believe."

Taryn gave the letter a once-over, before nodding. "I trust that you're delivering the writ to him?"

"Yes." Attaching the letter to Lunete's leg, he scratched her ears affectionately. "Lunete, take this to the prince for me, will you? Thanks a lot."

" _Roger that, Morgan!"_ And with a flap of her wings, the Swoobat was off into the still-morning light.

Turning back from the window, he shrugged goodnaturedly. "Your orders, Ms. Riordan?"

"Taryn," she corrected, smiling. _He's never going to get the hang of that, is he?_ "Let us begin the battle preparations."

* * *

To facilitate for clarity, only OCs that made an appearance in each chapter shall be listed down below from now on. Thank you for understanding.

 **The Crown**

 _ **The Iron Lady:**_ Taryn Riordan and Aeon (Lairon) - _Altomere_

 _ **The Astral Blade:**_ Morgan Lockwood, Art (Mawile) and Lunete (Swoobat) - _SDproductions_

 _ **The Parasol of Pain:**_ Cordelia Noble and Tabitha (Audino) - _SDproductions_

Glenn Callaghan and Wisp (Chandelure) - _emosewa13_

Lucas Valedin and ? - _TreblePlayer67_

Lynae Valedin and ? - _TreblePlayer67_

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _Guess that's that, for now. Observant readers will realize that a certain surname stands out - but what it implies is a whole 'nother plot point. Meanwhile, you proooooobably should be able to guess which_ _Pokémon the Valedin twins possess - outfit choices are pretty snazzy, if I say so myself. :3_

 _Anywho, that's another wrap on this chapter. A review on the new members of the Crown introduced would be nice, although I understand if you're not in the mood to do so. Let me know what I can do better, or what you liked/hated. I'll keep in touch with you lovely people when I can, and keep on improving myself._

 _Hopefully, the next chapter will take a shorter time to write, but it's hard to guarantee when I'm still planning out the future of this story ahead. So many variables, so many choices...so many ships. And dear lord, Fire Emblem: Fates is amazing and I just can't stop playing it - or with Felicia (meido waifus, can't ever have enough of them squee)._

 _That's all from me. Hope you continue to enjoy the Crusade. Cheers! (\\(OwO)/)_

 _Stay tuned to Chapter 6:_ _ **Ambush.**_


	7. Chapter Six - Ambush

_A/N:_

 _Whew. That wasn't so bad, I guess. The concert went over pretty well, so I got this finished up as soon as I could._

 _Nothing much else to say here. Hope you enjoy the chapter and all that, and keep an eye out for pop-culture references._

 _(Inside Out and Jurassic World are the best movies this year kthxbai)_

 _Oh, and 1.5k views! Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!_

 _Allons-y!_

* * *

 **Phantom's Crown: Crusade**

 **Chapter 6**

 **Ambush**

* * *

 _Ring-ring...Ring-ring...Ring-_

"Hello? Who is this?"

" _Intel. I have an update."_

"Countersign?"

" _Sandiego."_

"Cleared. I assume this 'update' of yours has to do with the reconnaissance mission that will be occurring in the next few hours?"

" _Indeed it is. The warrant for the supposed ambush has been received, and Fraternity will be going ahead with it. Have your men been warned?"_

"Of course. Even without the altercation today, they are always on their guard."

" _Good. However, tell them to also keep an eye out for the Right Hand of the Prince."_

"The Right Hand? This...Lockwood fellow you mentioned a while ago, was it?"

" _Yes. Blond hair, cloak, trains an unconventional Mawile. He's one of the strongest combatants I've seen so far, so do **not** take him lightly. Luckily, he will be overseeing the attack, meaning that Fraternity headquarters should remain relatively unguarded - I trust you've deployed the necessary person for the job?"_

"Of course. She's a very talented infiltrator, and I have faith that she will return with the documents Phantom can take advantage of."

" _Good. That is all, then."_

"Duly noted. Thank you."

" _No need to thank me."_

 _Beep._

Yoki put down the phone. _Everything is going to plan,_ he thought, before reaching for a few sheafs of paper and a pen.

Jotting down a memo each for Scott and Tia, he left the room quietly with the sheets in hand. Hopefully, they hadn't already flown off for-

"Aah! I'm not getting on! You can't make me get on!"

 _Well, now I know they definitely haven't,_ he smirked.

* * *

The National Park, like Ecruteak City, was one of the few places in Johto that had its name remain unchanged after the King's takeover. There wasn't much of need to, after all - 'National' was a very neutral term, and it did not impact the King's rule in any way.

None of that mattered to the redheaded fifteen-year old that one hand around her mouth, and the other around the waist of one Gilan Callaghan, both a hundred feet above the ground, descending towards said park.

In his words, "I'm the only person that can stand her in the air; she'll probably try to push anyone else off otherwise."

Grudgingly, she had to agree with that assessment. Didn't stop her from punching him in the shoulder about it.

As the pack of Staraptors landed, Mae alighted quickly, before running over to a bush. Whatever remained of the breakfast she had so heartily chowed down was returned to the land of the living.

"Jeez louise, Mae, does the air scare you that much?"

Wiping away any leftover chunks with a sleeve - Tia would probably chew her out over it later, but whatever - she looked up to see Grace on the back of her Fletchinder, Robin. She was wearing a maroon jacket over a long-sleeved shirt the colour of the sky, along with an orange scarf, and jeans that had probably seen better days.

With a somersault, both bird and trainer flipped through the air, before Grace landed nimbly on her wellington boots. Raising an arm for Robin to perch onto, she grinned. "It's exhilarating, you know? To feel the sensation of the wind and air whistling in your face-"

"And clearly," Mae interjected, annoyed, "As someone who has never taken to the air until just yesterday, excuse me for finding it hard to stomach."

"Then you gotta start learning someday soon."

She growled, and turned around to see Gilan's smug face. "You're now _hopefully_ very well aware that our main form of transportation is through the air," he continued, "So unless you prefer strictly walking through enemy territory, I suggest you get over it."

Incensed, she did the logical thing, and blew a Razz Berry. "Thbbbbbbbt!"

...Because, that was clearly the logical and mature thing to do.

"Thbbbbbbb-!"

Which spoke volumes about Gilan, who returned the less-than-affectionate gesture from under his navy-blue cowl.

"-bbbbbbbbbbt- YEOWCH!"

And even more about Grace, who kicked his shin, causing him to bite down on his tongue. Hard.

"Shush," she harrumphed. "You're getting too noisy."

Ignoring the muffled cries of pain coming from the boy now lying on the ground, she turned to Mae. "Shall we get started on working out your training schedule?" she asked, pointing towards a tall, bearded man in a grey muscle shirt and dark green cargo pants with brown boots.

 _Scotty-something_ , she remembered. _The Skybreaker._ She began walking towards him, as Grace took the opportunity to tease Gilan some more.

"And as I was saying- Oh, hey there!"

He had been in the middle of a conversation with two girls, who Mae remembered were named Lavender and Red.

"Close." The one in the pink crop-top leaned forward and ruffled her hair, making Mae flinch slightly. "I'm Orchid, and she's Crimson. Not that hard to remember, yeah?"

"Well, then, what's _my_ name?"

This gave the duo pause. Orchid turned to Crimson, who shrugged. "I think you're...May?"

Twitch. "That's _Mae_. With an 'e'."

* * *

" _Hang on. They're pronounced differently?" Jirachi pondered, before snapping his fingers._

 _In the main hall, only a pair of students remained amongst the books; the rest of the Canalave Library's patrons had already departed into the evening light, and the librarian was in the back room. The male between the two stretched. It had been a particularly strenuous session of Dream Link Online, and he'd probably have to continue the rest of it at home instead of in-person with his bae._

 _Incidentally, he was about to lean over and give her a quick peck on the cheek, when suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, a rather thick genealogy book removed itself from a shelf, before it started to float away in the direction of the east wing._

 _He blinked. "Steph, is it me, or is that book flying through the air?" he gently prodded her shoulder, pointing with the other hand._

 _Her eyes flitted up for half a second, before returning to her laptop screen. "Forget it, Jake. It's Canalavetown."_

" _Don't you mean Canalave City?" he asked, confused._

 _She shrugged. "Semantics."_

 _Flipping through the thick tome, Jirachi finally stopped on the relevant page. "Her name is pronounced 'Ma-eh', apparently, and not 'May'."_

" _Huh. The more you know, I guess." Azelf shook his head. "Anyways, let's finish up this chapter before we break for the night."_

* * *

"Oh. Okay, well, Mae," Orchid gestured at her. "I assume you're here because you want to know what's on for you, so...How much weapon experience do you have?"

Her mind flashed back to a much younger time, when she still helped her mother out by cutting vegetables for dinner. "I'm an amateur," she admitted, "Only ever had to escape from people, not defend myself from them."

"That's okay." Scott nodded. "Being able to avoid conflict is also a necessary skill, one all Phantom members should learn to appreciate. After all, what good are we to the cause if we're locked up in jail, or worse, executed?"

A _clink_ made Mae take note of the pair of metal batons attached to the belt by his hip, only for her to realize that those weren't just ordinary batons - they appeared to have two prongs on either side, making it look similar to the feet of that one frog Pokémon Mae had seen in a picturebook she had scavenged.

 _Greninja...was it?_

Oblivious to the impromptu weapon inspection being performed, Scott had continued with a gentle smile. "But, in the interests of your own safety, I think it much better that we at least train you to defend yourself with a weapon."

Looking up, she commented impetuously, "I don't see why you think the Crown soldiers are so much of a threat. If they can't even catch me, what's so dangerous about them to you and your oversized forks?"

His fingers clasped around one of the aforementioned 'forks'. Unhooking it, he began twirling it around one hand, while asking, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're from Sprout Tower in Dusk City, right?"

 _Showoff,_ she muttered inwardly. "Yeah, why?"

"Did they use close range equipment like my sai or…?"

"Spears. Weren't good at using them though." She pursed her lips. "Where are you going with this?"

With his free hand, he picked up the other sai, before pointing both of them at Mae. "Now, let's say a Crown soldier is actually very skilled with their weapon, and they're standing in my position now, holding it close to you. What would you do?"

"Simple," she riffed confidently, "I'll just run-"

 _ **Snikt!**_ "Run just where, exactly?"

The sudden interjection caused Mae to turn around. Right behind her was Crimson, only this time, there appeared to be something different about her. Perhaps it was the shades of red on her one-piece dress, though she hadn't changed since that morning. Perhaps it was the way she did her hair, though, again, it hadn't changed since that morning either.

Or perhaps it was what she had changed since that morning - the sudden emergence of three-bladed claw gauntlets on both of her wrists. Scratch that (literally), _sharp, glinting_ three-bladed claw gauntlets on both of her wrists - pointed directly at Mae.

 _Eep._

She made to bolt to the left. "Well, not towards you, that's for sure-"

 _ **Crack!**_ "Towards me, then?"

Orchid was standing there, holding something that resembled a whip. However, this whip was metallic, and looked to be divided into sections instead of being one continuous length of rope.

Releasing it to full length and causing the tip to smack against the ground with another loud crack, she rewound the chain around one hand. "I wouldn't mind."

"Nah, I'll just go right and-"

"That's not right either, you know."

To her immense frustration, she was surrounded. Tia had blocked off her last direction of escape; the black of her carbon-steel knife contrasted with the ever-so-spotless white of her shirt, and she had a knowing look on her face, as if she was daring her to try.

"Oh finally, a normal weapon." Mae commented, now very much unamused. Turning back to Scott, she crossed her arms defiantly. "Okay, you got me, I'm at your mercy. Now, what's up with the demonstration?"

He chuckled. "Stubborn one, aren't you?" Twirling both sai such that the tips were now facing inwards, he crossed his arms. "Now imagine you actually had a weapon you were able to use in this situation. Instead of being helpless like you are right now, you can actually fight back. A much better set of circumstances to be in, wouldn't you agree?"

…As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She would much rather not be at the mercy of any Crown soldiers, ever, period.

"Alright, alright," she sighed and shrugged noncommittally. "What am I supposed to do now, then?"

 _ **Snikt!**_

From behind her, Crimson walked up, her scary blades thankfully retracted such that all she was wearing now was a pair of glorified metal gauntlets. Studying Mae up-close, she briefly glanced to Mae's right. "Considering you have had zero formal experience with any sort of training, we'll ignore the specialized weapons and start small. Tia, you teach her knife arts; if she can't handle that, we'll let Grace have a go at training her."

"Somebody call my name?"

Grace took this moment to pop into the conversation. She was holding a thankfully just-as-normal bow; Mae had seen the weapon in use before with the failed resistance group that operated close to her former home. Good for attacking from afar - not so good when the guards were slashing them to pieces with swords.

She flinched. _Right, maybe the guards aren't exactly laughably harmless..._

"-so you're gonna be training with Tia, is that alright?"

It took her a moment to realize that it was her cue to answer. "Yeah, sure!" she answered hurriedly.

"Good. Everyone else, usual stuff. Let's go train!" Scott announced.

Everyone pretty much split up after that. Ashley waved to Mae as she followed Grace, a similar bow in her hands, and a quiver full of arrows each.

At the end, she was left next to Tia, which was to be expected considering the conversation she had only mildly paid attention to - or at least, the end of it.

Speaking of Tia, the older girl handed her a knife that looked similar to the one she held in her master hand, only this one was about an inch shorter. "I should warn you before I start," she affirmed, "Just because I like you, kid, doesn't mean I'm not going to go strict on you during training. You are going to learn, and learn well, capiche?"

"You like me? That's a shocker."

A smirk. That was usually a sign of approval. "Not bad. We'll make a Phantom out of you yet. Now, let's try an overhead blow."

She weighed the knife in her hands. Not too heavy, not too light, though the handle could use a bit of powder or some other lubricant for an easier grip. Nevertheless, she steeled herself, before raising the knife over her head."Hy-"

* * *

" _-ah!"_

The blue-and-black jackal watched in satisfaction as the large crocodile in front of her fell back on his haunches. He raised a thumbs-up, flashing a toothy grin.

" _Mighty fine showing there, Ria!"_ He praised. " _I think ya got the hang of Brick Break - I sure felt the raw power coming off of that karate chop!"_

Ria the Riolu beamed, her brown eyes lighting up in happiness. " _Aw, thanks, uncle Jax!"_

Jax the Feraligatr got up from the ground, before guffawing loudly. " _Well, now that ya got the technique down, it's up to ya to gauge yer own power level! I'm sure ya don't need an old bag o' bones like me to be yer test subject, so, eh…_ " He looked around. " _Why don'tcha get some tree branches or stones to smack? Just be careful not to break yer hand hitting them, ya hear?"_

" _Gotcha! I'll see you around then, uncle Jax!"_

He watched as Ria left to gather stuff, before wiping away the sweat off his brow, slightly embarrassed. _Sheesh,_ he thought, _Not even twenty and I'm already a flipping uncle? Granted, we smaller crocs mature twice as fast, so I'm more like reaching forty, but still-_

" _Uncle Jax!" "Hey uncle Jax!"_

 _...Nevermind._ He turned around, and, as he had guessed from the voices, it was two of the other Pokémon who had dubbed him 'uncle', Screech the Pawniard and Robin the Fletchinder. Only this time, there was a third Pokémon with them - a new addition to their cabal, perhaps?

" _We gotta introduce the new kid on the block."_ Screech said, pointing a claw almost lazily at her. " _She's-"_

Before he could finish, the fox bounded forward, shushing the boy with an orange paw. " _I can introduce myself, thank you very much!"_ Clearing her throat, the Vulpix bowed slightly. " _My name is Talis. I'm a Vulpix, and as you can plainly see, I've already gotten all six of my tails."_

" _Well, it's mighty fine to meet ya, lil' Talis."_ He flashed an award-winning grin and held out a clawed hand. " _I'm Jax, but as ya can probably tell, they call me 'uncle' too. Dunno why, dinna care."_

She took one step back in response. " _Has anyone told you how creepy you look when you smile, mister Jax?"_

" _You'll get used to it."_ Robin chirped.

Guffawing loudly again, Jax wiped a tear from his eye. " _In any case, it's good to have ya as part of the fam. How battle-ready are ya?"_

To this, she visibly shook, and took another step back. " _You're...not gonna attack me to find out, are you?"_

" _And why, pray tell, would he do that?"_

Talis turned her head. A trio of newcomers walked into her line of sight, and neither looked all too friendly either. The speaker had been a graceful-looking Kirlia, who brushed away a few loose strands of hair as she approached the four. Flanking her were two dark Pokémon; one was dark-grey and hyena-like, and, if she remembered correctly from that one picturebook Mae had scavenged, they were a Poochyena. The other was very much unknown to Talis - they had red feathers surrounding a pale-grey body, with a yellow oval marking on their forehead, and sharp, metal claws like the knife Mae was currently training with.

Speaking of her trainer, Talis glanced over - in the time she had been released from her new confinements (she refused to dignify the ball as anything but a prison cell), Mae had progressed on to throwing the knife.

As evidenced by the completely intact log of wood propped up a few feet away, she should probably stick to keeping the knife in her hands, Talis concluded.

" _Hey. New gal. Or guy, whatever."_

She turned. It was the light grey-ish Pokémon from earlier. " _It's rude to leave a question hanging,"_ he (at least she thought it was a he) stated, running a claw through one of his ear feathers, " _Unless you would like her to repeat it?"_

" _No, I got the question, Mr. Sunshine."_ Ignoring the icy glare directed her way, she raised her head defiantly. " _Don't I have every reason to be afraid of someone four times as big as me,_ _ **especially**_ _if I don't know whether to trust them or not?"_

A moment of silence passed before the Poochyena puts together his paws, as if he were clapping, with the Kirlia following suit.

" _Ooh, she's a feisty one! Now I know we'll have fun sparring it out!"_ He (she was sure this time it was a he) bounded forward, before raising a paw to shake. " _Hi there! I'm Fang! These are some of my friends; Madame is the Kirlia-"_

" _Enchanté."_ Madame curtsied.

" _While Mr. Grumpypants over here is Logan the Weavile!"_

If Logan's glare could have gotten any icier, it just did. " _Mr. Grumpypants?"_

 _Well...I guess he's okay,_ Talis thought. Hesitantly, he reached out and took his paw-

Before he lightly whacked her over the head with it.

" _Tag, you're it!"_ He barked, before running away with a howl of laughter.

Robin hopped forward, a wing up as if to say something, but Talis raised a paw in return. " _Shh...I get it."_

Moments later, a tremendous roar broke out from the little fox, who proceeded to zip after the wolfling with a look of apoplexy written all over her face. The other Phantom Pokémon stared as she screamed bloody murder, in hot pursuit of the soon-not-to-be most junior member of their group.

" _Well, that saved us from having to explain the initiation."_ Screech laughed - which came out rather shrilly considering he was made out of nothing but metal. " _Is Ria around? I think she'd be thrilled to see Fang get put in his place."_

" _Eh, she's around 'ere somewhere."_ Jax looked towards where she had went to practise, but only found a pile of cracked twigs. " _Huh. Oh well."_

Madame placed a comforting hand on his back. " _There, there, I sense she's in the area. For now, let us enjoy the show, shall we?"_

* * *

 **Begin the initiation test! Land a hit on your direct senior!**

 **Hunter: Talis the Vulpix VS Target: Fang the Poochyena**

 **CHASE: BEGI-**

* * *

" _GET OVER HERE!"_

Fang turned, and nearly wet himself in sheer fright.

He thought the Vulpix (Talis, was it?) looked kinda cute at first glance. A bit shy and timid, and fun to tease - the perfect one to take him on for the initiation ceremony.

Certainly not the loud, ablaze, and almost certainly baying-for-his-blood (his!) Vulpix she was now channeling. Any more fiery, and he'd have to call her Mozilla.

Whatever that was.

Well, no time to waste. He couldn't afford to let her land a hit on him before he did, after all. He'd just have to-

" _Ember!"_

" _Abort Plan A!"_ he yelped, turning back around and continuing to flee for his life, dodging the balls of fire as he did.

Plan A had been to get in close and strike her before she could retaliate, but he didn't want to get the fur off his back burned off for his trouble.

Necessitating Plan B: _Get away from her until I can think up_ _ **Plan C**_ _!_

Dashing to the right, he weaved around the shooting range. A metaphorical lightbulb lit over his head, as Plan C popped into his mind. Grabbing an arrow with his teeth off the bullseye on one of the targets-

"Hey! That's my lucky arrow! Give it-"

He chomped down on it hard with the power of his Bite, shredding the wood shaft to pieces.

"Nooooooooo! Tia! Your stupid Poochyena destroyed my lucky arrow!"

"Um...doesn't that mean that the arrow wasn't really all that lucky, then, Grace?"

"Huh? Oh...Good point, Ash."

Spitting the splinters out, he gathered them in a pile, and began preparing for the arrival of his pursuer.

Sure enough, Talis closed the distance between them freakishly fast. _"So help me, I will end you-"_

 _"Sand Attack!" "Gah!"_

With a powerful kick of his hind legs, he scored a direct hit on her eyes, sending the fox skidding to a halt, a few feet away.

 _"Damn you!"_ she spat out a few more fireballs, but to Fang's immense relief, all of them were totally off-target. _"Fight me like a real man!"_

 _"I'm a Poochyena."_ He taunted. _"This_ _ **is**_ _me fighting like a real hound!"_

Talis growled. The nerve of some people!

Changing her stance, she bared her teeth in the general direction of Fang's blurry-black shape. _Alright. Calm down. Think back to what that Arcanine grandpa did._

Elsewhere, back on the S.S. Chance, Pyro huffed a bit, before sneezing out a torrent of flame. Once he realized he had accidentally set one of the potted plants on fire, he quickly ran over to try and put it out.

Drawing from her internal reserves, Talis felt her mouth heat up to a good temperature. _Now control the stream of flame, and let it go- BLARG!_

Instead of an elegant cascade of fire, the ensuing flame came out in a very uneven jet. Not only that, she had placed too much ' _oomph!'_ into her Fire Spin, causing her to be blown back and to the left.

" _Gotch- Argh!"_

Which, ironically enough, had been most favourable for her in this situation, as Fang, who had feinted left to dodge the supposedly-straightforward attack, ended up being scorched. The fire caused him to be blinded temporarily, but it was enough.

Closing her mouth to end the attack, she watched as he flailed around helplessly. Reinvigorated, Talis started running, and with a jump, she launched herself into the air, before grabbing her tails and holding them close to herself.

" _Tail Whip!"_

Releasing her six tails, Talis let them all smack the Poochyena upside the head.

" _That's not a whip!"_ Fang cried as he fell over.

Dazed from the tumble, he shook his head and opened his eyes, only to stare into the Vulpix's fiery-auburn eyes.

 _"I. Win."_ she punctuated each word with a smack to his chest, _"Chew. On. That."_

They both stayed there in silence, looking at each other, before Fang sighed. " _Con-freaking-gratulations."_

" _Wow. Way to put him in his place, new girl!"_

Talis turned around. It was a Riolu, and behind her were the other Phantom Pokémon.

" _That Fire Spin prediction was awesome!"_ Robin tweeted her approval. " _Sure, it could be a little more graceful, but still, that was awesome!"_

" _Of course it was!"_ Talis proclaimed proudly. No need to tell them it had been an accident.

" _I'm Ashley's partner, Ria, by the way, if you know who she is,"_ she high-pawed Talis (" _Nope!")_ , before turning to her direct junior.

" _You got put in your plaaaa-ace!"_ Ria teased Fang, who howled in mock frustration. " _Graaaagh!"_ he whined, before slumping down on the ground.

Still, he couldn't help but give props to the new gal. She certainly knew how to pack a punch.

Maybe she'd be as awesome as him one day!

Oh, he could hope, at least.

* * *

Mae tossed the knife in the air, before catching it with the other hand. Swinging it in an arc, she slammed it down on the log.

Removing the blade with a slight tug, she smirked at the sight of the created indent. Sure, it was shallow, but hey, it was a step in the right direction.

Tia peered over her shoulder, before clapping it. "Good," she said, "You're starting to get the hang of knife arts. We've been working pretty hard for some time now - let's take a break over there, shall we?"

Looking over, she pointed to where Mae saw a familiar sight for sore eyes. Talis was sitting down next to the Poochyena that Tia had named Fang, and the two appeared to be in conversation.

 _I'm actually kinda surprised you've managed to make friends already,_ she mused. "Sure, let's check on them."

Passing by Gilan, who was whacking away at a practice dummy with a pair of sticks, they crouched down by their respective Pokémon. Tia scratched behind Fang's ears, and Mae decided to do the same for Talis.

" _Pooch!" "Vul!"_ Evidently, they enjoyed it pretty well.

"So what's going on between you two, huh?" Mae asked.

" _Oh, you know, the usual. Me bossing Fang here around."_ Talis stated, a hint of smugness in her yips.

" _Yeah, well, I'm just…"_ He pawed the ground. " _Curious about one thing."_

" _What's that?"_ Talis asked, half-curious herself, as their owners looked at her, then him, expectantly.

He looked around apprehensively. " _We're already halfway through this training montage, where the Houndoom is the ambush?"_

As if on cue, a large tree fell onto the area, its bark coated in a frosty sheen of blue.

" _Sorry, sorry! That was me."_ Jax guffawed, scratching his head. " _Missed an Ice Punch."_

" _Where the actual hell were you even aiming for?"_ Logan snarked.

" _Ya face, duh!"_

Before the Weavile could retort, however-

 _ **WEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEE!**_

A loud ringing sound erupted throughout the entirety of the National Park.

"Everyone, scram!" Scott yelled over the din, before reaching into his pocket for the Pokéball containing the borrowed Staraptor.

 _Click! Click!_ _ **Click!**_

 _What the-_ Scott cursed inwardly, before pulling the device to eye-level. _Why won't they work?_

As the sound cut off, Scott looked over to his comrades, who were all similarly dazed and confused.

And the five crown soldiers who happened to blend out of the surrounding forest behind them.

A man and his Chandelure jumped out of a tree, before making a beeline for Gilan and his Pawniard. Two people, dressed mostly in green, leaped towards Crimson and Orchid, their Gardevoir and Gallade right behind. A blonde-haired woman wielding - was that...an umbrella? - appeared next to Ashley and Grace, causing them to jump back.

And his opponent strode up to him, a sword in one hand. Her platinum-blonde hair swished behind her as she raised the other to head-level, a magnificently-crafted shield bearing the Crown's emblem on it.

Removing an earbud, she discarded it to the side, before getting into a battle-ready stance.

 _So this was the ambush, huh?_ he thought, checking around. True to form, Tia had disappeared. Good, now he had to provide the distraction.

"Everyone, run, now!" Scott yelled, still disoriented.

Taryn smiled, before charging forth. "Attack!"

* * *

A lone Xatu watched the scene unfold from a tree branch not far away from the clearing. Sentry watched as the Crown soldiers entered the scene, before tapping into the psychic link between her and her master to project what she saw into his head.

" _I see our guests have arrived, right on time."_ Yoki's voice sounded into _her_ head. " _I didn't expect them to utilize an Electromagnetic Pulse, but everything else is going just as planned. Look out for Tia, and ensure that she gets to their headquarters safely. As for everyone else, intervene when necessary, but keep your presence to a minimum. And be careful - shadow back to the ship if you find yourself threatened in any way. Especially if you find yourself confronted by a blond male and his Mawile - do not engage them. Got it?"_

" _Understood,"_ she nodded, breaking the connection with her master so as to not drain her pool of psychic energy, before turning to take to the skies. Her mission - to provide aerial support to her commander's men and women.

Unfortunately, her ascent was halted as soon as she saw the mass of shadowy tendrils just mere millimetres from her face.

" _Surprise!"_ Lunete grinned, before launching the Shadow Ball. At point-blank range, she couldn't have missed, but the added bonus of the Scope Lens meant that the Xatu caught the projectile right between her eyes.

Back in the former Ecruteak City gym-turned-headquarters, he watched the Mystic Pokémon fall and disappear into the shadows of the trees. Tapping his headset, he communicated via the modified held item, " _ **Lunete, keep an eye out from the skies. I'll need you to swoop in as fast as possible if either of us spot anything amiss."**_

Taking the up-and-down movement of his monitor display as a nod, he leaned forward to watch the screen, steepling his fingers. "Best of luck, everyone, not that you'll need it," Morgan murmured, as his Swoobat flew up. "Mission start."

* * *

 **Phantom**

 _ **The Revolutionary:**_ Yoki Kohzo and Sentry (Xatu) - _Condor-K_

 _ **The Skybreaker:**_ Scott Bishop and Jax (Feraligatr) - _RedArrowCrasher_

 _ **?:**_ Gilan Callaghan and Screech (Pawniard) _\- emosewa13_

 _ **?:**_ Tia Harmon and Fang (Poochyena) - _We're All Okay_

 _ **?:**_ Ashley White and Ria (Riolu) - _Isetba_

 _ **?:**_ Orchid Bloom and Madame (Kirlia) - _LuvCherice_

 _ **?:**_ Crimson Kaia and Logan (Weavile) - _PokéFreak45_

 _ **?:**_ Grace Elliot and Robin (Fletchinder) - _PokeThatPokémon_

 _ **?:**_ Mae and Talis (Vulpix) - _Skittlinq_

 **Crown**

 _ **The Astral Blade:**_ Morgan Lockwood and Lunete (Swoobat) - _SDproductions_

 _ **The Iron Lady:**_ Taryn Riordan and Aeon (Lairon) - _Altomere_

 _ **The Parasol of Pain:**_ Cordelia Noble and Tabitha (Audino) - _SDproductions_

 _ **?:**_ Glenn Callaghan and Wisp (Chandelure) - _emosewa13_

 _ **?:**_ Lucas Valedin and Valdus (Gallade) - _TreblePlayer67_

 _ **?:**_ Lynae Valedin and Valerie (Gardevoir) - _TreblePlayer67_

* * *

 **SD's Weapons Manual**

Sai: Typically, they consist of a pointed, prong-shaped, metal baton, with two curved prongs (termed ' _yoku'_ ) projecting from the handle (termed ' _tsuka'_ ). Scott's sais in particular are hybridized off Raphael's sais ( _TMNT)_ , meaning that they do not have a blunt end, but instead a sharp one for piercing. Originating as a farming tool, these pseudo-knives can be used both for offense and defense - and they can be thrown too.

Tri-Bladed Gauntlets: Known better as the 'Cat Claw Gauntlets' or 'Wolverine's Blades', each gauntlet holds three retractable steel blades that can be popped up or stored at a moment's notice with the flick of a switch in the palm of its owner. The ones Crimson wear are based off Rio Kizaki's ( _Ratman)_ model - though special modifications taken from the Yautja _(Predator)_ have been implemented. Highly offensive - not in _that_ way.

Metal Chain: Also known as the chain whip or, more specifically, the nine-section whip, this ostensibly Chinese weapon is regarded as a 'soft' weapon, though it is certainly anything but. The amount of precision and dexterity required to wield such a formidable weapon certainly shows through its most well-known users - Shaolin monks. Does Orchid have what it takes? We shall see.

Knife: Up to ten inches long and crafted out of a carbon-steel alloy, the two knives Tia and Mae wield in this chapter are actually based off the ever-popular machete, scaled to size for easier control and to account for their physique. They're easy to learn, but hard to master, thus providing a most reasonable weapon for a complete and utter novice like Mae to learn. Throwing them is not exactly advised for beginners, however.

Bow & Arrows: Crafted out of wood that once had its home on a Torterra's back, the composite bows that Grace and Ashley use are strung with the same Torterra's sinew. Waste not, want not, and the two ranged weapons are proof of that. Half a metre-long each, they have an indeterminate range of at least fifty metres at full draw. Grace wields it with astounding accuracy, while Ashley is...getting there.

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _Holy stunt doubles look at that cast ensemble. And that ain't even half of all the human OCs that were submitted - the less said about how many more_ _Pokémon that makes it, the better. I should probably start drafting plans for the first few deaths...Nah, maybe later._

 _Anywho, that's another wrap on this chapter. A review would very certainly be appreciated - let me know what I can do better, or what you liked/hated. I'll keep in touch with you lovely people when I can, and keep on improving myself._

 _And taking a cue from a new favourite author,_ _ **DJTiki**_ _(read his fiction, yo, we're both doing medieval stuff), let's try this._

 _ **QOTC:**_ _Who's your favourite member(s) of Phantom so far? Favourite member(s) of the Crown so far? Favourite_ _Pokémon? (The response to this last one will be very interesting...maybe)_

 _The big battle comes next...This might take a while, but hey, a while's all I got. Prepare yourself for one heck of a long weapon assessment/_ _Pokémon_ _review. Oh, and the chapter itself, but...I seem to do quite well for a stretch, and then at the end of a sentence, I say the wrong cranberry._

 _Don't mind me, I'm waxing lyrical._

 _That's all from me. Hope you continue to enjoy the Crusade. Cheers! (\\(OwO)/)_

 _Stay tuned to Chapter 7:_ _ **Skirmish**_ _._


	8. Chapter Seven - Skirmish

_A/N:_

 _Am now officially a topic to be discussed on the Starfield. More details after the extra-long battle chapter._

 _Without further ado, allons-y!_

* * *

 **Phantom's Crown: Crusade**

 **Chapter 7**

 **Skirmish**

* * *

 _The dawn of a new day invited yet another meeting of the Legendaries in the Canalave City Library, though those present showed some change from the day before._

" _So this is the book that has you all enthralled, huh?"_

 _Meloetta picked up the familiar brown tome, and flipped through it rapidly. "Certainly seems like a good find; how did you all come across it in the first place?"_

" _Oh, my sis threw it at my boyfriend's head." Uxie replied absentmindedly, ignoring the muffled cries from the pink bundle on the floor. After breaking off yesterday, Mesprit had foolishly chosen to interrogate her about her love life, necessitating the need to silence the Emotion Pokémon for some time._

 _"Mmmmmmff! Mmmmmmmmmff!"_

 _Azelf couldn't help but chuckle a little. He was feeling much better after yesterday, and he actually was looking forward to reading again, without Shaymin around to boss him. She and Hoopa were away on business that day, so he didn't have much need to fuss. It was just him, his sisters, Jirachi, Meloetta, and, though she was running a bit late-_

 _"Sorry, sorry! I'm here!"_

 _Diancie popped into the east wing, her face flushed. "Had to take care of some rogue Carbink on my way over. Little darlings were exploding everywhere and making the Reflection Cave a mess!"_

 _"That's okay." Jirachi flipped open the book to its marked page. "We're just about to begin the first large-scale skirmish."_

 _"I'll put on something from my favourite series on, then." Meloetta said, pulling out a portable player. "Might as well play some cool music."_

* * *

 **(RECOMMENDED LISTENING:) [YGGDRA UNION OST: MILANOR, SORTIE!]**

* * *

 **A new challenger has appeared!**

 **The Skybreaker, Scott Bishop VS The Iron Lady, Taryn Riordan**

 **BATTLE: START!**

* * *

Scott had barely unhooked his sai when the sword went whistling through the air over his head. Blocking high, he deflected the steel blade with the flat of one sai, before hooking into it with the other. Before he could jerk back and potentially disarm the woman, however, she retracted the sword and slashed the area in front of him in one fluid motion, prompting him to jump back slightly.

Avoiding the attack, he withdrew both sai, positioning them such that he could defend against any false swipes while simultaneously guarding against any actual strikes.

Eyeing the discarded earbud, he faced the platinum blonde-haired, armoured woman. "I suppose you're the one responsible for the loud noise earlier?" he asked, "And I'll even wager that it was meant to prevent us from using our Staraptors, isn't that right?"

"A modified electromagnetic pulse, built to short-circuit Pokéball mechanisms temporarily." The woman affirmed, raising her shield. The emblem of the Crown - a red Charizard's outline against a black background, was engraved on its face. "We intend to bring you in, not let you escape into the skies."

This elicited a laugh from Scott. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that - certainly, I _could_ have fled to the skies, but that would mean I'd have to renounce my name!" He chuckled. "And while we're on the topic of names, may I have the pleasure of knowing yours?"

"If you do not know my name, I do not see any reason for you to learn it now, _Skybreaker_." Her tone was serious, yet there was an underlying hint of amusement in it - almost as if she was taunting him. And she had even known - and used - his title too!

Such a shame she was his opponent - Scott had a feeling they would have been good friends if she was a member of Phantom. Alas, she was not, so he would have to deal with her.

"If you say so." He grinned. "You made one big mistake, though. While all you have is your weapons, I have a partner with me!"

" _Which is why yer going down!"_

Jax, his lifelong buddy and Feraligatr, stepped into view, providing a line of defense between him and her, while leaving enough room for Scott to still see his opponent.

Who he noted, with alarm, didn't look the least bit fazed.

"A partner, huh?" She immediately ducked, as a large, grey mass jumped over her.

" _Then you have me to deal with!"_

The Lairon barreled straight into Jax, tackling him backwards. Had the Skybreaker not dived to the side in time, he would surely have been crushed by the combined bulk of the two heavy Pokémon.

 _Of course she'd have her Pokémon out with her, what was I thinking?_ Scott cursed inwardly, before getting to his feet. "Alright, I stand corrected," he quipped, now on his guard. "I don't suppose you'll be expecting me to come quietly?"

"Far from it," was all that the woman said, before she sped forward.

Holding up his sai in a cross-formation, Scott caught the blade between two prongs. Keeping one of them focused on her sword, he unhooked the other, and stabbed forward, only to have it impact the shield. Not to be deterred, Scott kicked low, delivering a blow to her shins.

If it caused her any pain, the woman sure didn't show it. Instead, she withdrew her sword, before spinning in a circle, slashing in a large arc. While Scott was able to dodge that, it left him defenseless against her other weapon.

 _Thunk!_

When she had gotten up close, he could see the large difference in size between the two - the Skybreaker towered over the armoured woman by a full head. Thus, the blow meant for Scott's temple ended up only smashing into his chest, but that didn't quite change the fact that her shield bash _hurt_.

"Gah!" He recoiled in pain, gingerly placing a hand to his chest. Through his muscle shirt, he could feel the start of a lump. But he kept his eyes on his opponent, and was rewarded by being able to successfully parry her next attack.

 _I need to get rid of one of her weapons...but which one?_

Feinting left, he quickly changed direction, and took note of her armaments as she made to strike where he would have gone. Her shield was buckled into her arm, strapped with two fairly strong belts that were nigh-impossible for a sai user to break, let alone reach, without getting in too close.

 _Guess that leaves her sword arm, then,_ he thought to himself.

Catching her blade with his prongs, he spun one of them about his hands, before slamming the pommel into her fingers.

To his surprise, she visibly winced in pain, and the sword fell from her fingers.

Only to have her now-free hand snake behind her shield, and with a jump, she swung the buckler in a curve towards his head.

 _Well, this complicates matters- Kft!_

Meanwhile, Jax was having some trouble of his own. It came in the form of the Lairon making it that much harder to attack. Sure, he could leap forward and strike the beast-

" _Waterfall!"_

-which was exactly what he just did, and, in most cases, his opponent would be knocked out on the floor. Unfortunately, there was just one teensy-little problem Jax had not accounted for on the offense-

" _Iron Defense!"_

Attacking the Iron Armour Pokémon _hurt_.

" _Gyaah!"_ He roared, nursing his bruised knuckles. The Lairon had moved surprisingly fast, so much so that instead of the softer, more vulnerable underside Jax had been aiming for (and was very sure he could hit, what with his speed), his strike impacted the newly-fortified carapace, and the end result was that the metallic Pokémon was all but unharmed - on the other hand, Jax's scaly hand was growing a darker shade of purple by the second.

Turning back to the fight, Jax sidestepped the next lunge, before grabbing the Lairon by his stubby little tail.

" _Mah word, ya weigh a mighty lot for such a small youngun!"_

With immense effort, he flung the Lairon a small distance away into a pile of wood. The tree bark immediately splintered under Aeon's weight, as he picked himself up unsteadily.

" _Young one?"_ he yelled back, " _The hell are you, forty?"_

Deciding not to answer that question, Jax flared out his arms and roared. The effect of the Dragon Dance was not lost on the alligator, and he felt a surge of power come from within him.

 _Well, at least ah' won't have to use Crunch. Like my teeth unbroken, thank'ya._

He charged forward, ready to attack. Getting within striking distance, he dived in, fists glowing with the blue energy of a Waterfall-

Before the Lairon let loose a mighty roar, and slammed his forelegs down into the ground.

Suddenly, the earth beneath the two folded instantly, as the Bulldoze caused the soil to loosen up considerably. This had the added effect of causing Aeon to sink into the ground by a small amount, though it was enough such that Jax's attack missed overhead by a hair's breadth.

" _Oh what in tarnation-"_ he cursed, before the last thing he saw passing over was the head of the Lairon glow a metallic silver.

" _Iron Head!"_

 _ **WHAM!**_

* * *

 **A new challenger has appeared!**

 **The Silent Singer, Gilan Callaghan VS The Viscount of Violet City, Glenn Callaghan**

 **BATTLE: START!**

* * *

When the deafening alarm hit, Gilan had been practicing with his escrima sticks.

After it passed, he was still holding onto them as his opponent closed in for the first strike.

He did, however, nearly drop them when he saw who he was up against. "G-Glenn?!"

"Well, isn't _this_ a lovely surprise?" the other male responded, a smirk plastered on his face, which was an almost-exact replica of Gilan's own.

The story of the Callaghan twins was known to some in the empire. Their father, The Lord Callaghan, was a fervent supporter of the King, and had been even before he had taken rule. His two sons, born minutes from each other, were groomed from an early age to be elite soldiers, and both showed the considerable skill needed for the job. Poised to be next in line for the royal guards, it seemed like nothing could go wrong...

Until the younger of the two, Gilan, died in a major accident involving a rebel and his Steelix. According to reports at the time, his remains had to be _scraped_ off the pavement, and by the time what was left of him was pieced back together, he was wholly unrecognizable, but it could only have been him due to the clothes he wore.

At least, that was the cover story.

In truth, Gilan was very much still alive and kicking, although as one can plainly see, he's not quite working under the Crown anymore. How, why, and what actually happened?

Well, none of the answers to those questions quite mattered right now, as Glenn swung a fist towards his brother's chest.

 _ **THONK!**_

Or, to be more precise, the steel gauntlets over his fists.

"Gah!" Gilan howled in pain. The jab had taken the wind out of him, but he wouldn't be downed by that sucker punch.

Swinging his batons, he twirled them around his fingers as he aimed for the non-protected portions of Glenn's tuxedo. For every strike he made, however, it was responded with a punch, kick, or weave in kind - and with a metallic ' _dong_ ', his sticks clanged against the finely-crafted gloves, or the greaves that acted as shin guards.

He officially hated Glenn's natural aptitude for kickboxing, that he was sure of now.

Sensing an opening, he slid back both rods, before swiping in a high arc. This was a direct hit, and clubbed Glenn across his face-

Unfortunately, Glenn used his newly-rotational momentum to spin on the ball of his heel, and the subsequent roundhouse kick caught Gilan across the neck.

As it would turn out, Glenn had gone the extra mile with his steel-toe boots.

For a moment, all he felt was the odd sensation of flying. Then the ground caught up, and he skidded across the earth.

Disoriented, the Phantom member looked up to see the slightly-reddish image of his brother.

"You've gotten better…" Glenn smiled, but there was no warmth or pride in it - only hate. Shaking the drop of blood that trailed across his face, he punched both gauntlets together in a display of power.

"So I've been told." Gilan responded, getting up and readying himself. "On the other hand, you're just as bad as you've always been."

"Screw. You." And with those two words, Glenn charged forward, and the battle between the warring twins continued.

If only the battle could have been so balanced for their Pokémon...

 _"Ring-a-round the rosie..."_

If it was possible for Screech to sweat, there would be a pond beneath him. He had just narrowly escaped getting scorched by the flames of the Chandelure who challenged him to battle, and was now hiding for his life behind a tree.

And now, he was hearing her taunt him with a classic nursery rhyme. What was going on? Could this get any worse?

 _"A pocketful of posies!"_

 _Hrk!_

In horror, Screech only realized too late that he had severely underestimated what the candelabra was capable of, as one of her ghostly arms slammed the Pawniard into the tree behind him with a chokehold.

Phasing out of said tree, the Luring Pokémon kept holding Screech against her body, and soon enough, he could feel himself being raised high up into the sky. Striking at the arm with his blades, he continued the Metal Claw barrage, but it was to no avail, as the Chandelure either didn't feel it, or didn't care.

 _"...Y'know, to be fairly honest,"_ Wisp admitted, _"I've kinda-sorta forgotten how the third line goes."_

Though Screech couldn't see her expression, he could hear the malicious glee in her voice as he continued his futile efforts. _"But I guess it doesn't matter, since it all ends the same way."_

Throwing her prisoner up in the air, Wisp tapped into her internal reserve, before charging up both of her 'hands'. Harnessing a small, concentrated ball of fire, she took aim.

 _"_ _ **You**_ _fall down!"_ She laughed, and sent the orb straight up. _"Flame Burst!"_

* * *

 **A new challenger has appeared!**

 **The Faint Smile, Crimson Kaia VS The Dancing Saber, Lucas Valedin**

 **BATTLE: START!**

* * *

 _Snikt!_

As soon as the alarm had sounded out, Crimson had flicked her switches, exposing the wolverine claws that she treasured as her pride and joy. Sensing movement, she brought the gauntlets up to arm-level.

 _SHING!_

And not a moment too soon. Had she been a little slower or her opponent a little quicker, the blade now mere millimetres in front of her right arm might have amputated her for good. Fortunately, she was, and he was, and, with a push, she forced the katana away from her face, letting the blades drop low in case it was a feint.

Shaking her head to remove any traces of shock, she faced her adversary. This time, it was a green-haired boy, who was holding the famed Ransei weapon in one hand against the ground. He had a smug smile on his face, and Crimson wanted nothing more than to punch it.

"Didn't your parents ever teach you not to hit girls?" she taunted, holding up both her claws in an X-shape for emphasis.

"Clearly," he brought the sword up in a fighting stance, "You've never met my parents."

 _Damn, that was actually a good comeba-_

Her train of thought was derailed as he leapt forward, katana in a downwards strike. Luckily for her, the swords were designed to be slashing, not stabbing weapons, so Crimson was able to block them fairly well.

Changing poses, the green-haired male feinted left, before dragging the katana across in a saw-like motion. While she could feel a shred of her qipao tear around the waist, she managed to evade for the most part, and retaliated with a slash across his chest.

He was, sadly, wearing armour, so the blow didn't injure him. Nevertheless, he was stunned, so she took the opportunity to kick him back a couple feet.

For a moment, they just stood there, looking at each other, unblinking.

Then his free hand dropped down, and took out another katana from its sheath, and at once, he was armed with two of the legendary Ransei blades.

 _Two katanas. Right, because life is fair._

Quickly crouching into a defensive stance, she let her claws do most of the blocking, parrying the strikes that would have otherwise cut a limb off, while simultaneously dodging the kicks of the green-haired male.

"It's pointless to resist!" He boasted, "No matter how skillful you are, my twin dragons will always find their mark! So please, I urge you to give yourself up!"

 _Ugh, like hell I'm gonna. Still, I need a plan, and I need it fast,_ Crimson pondered her next move, as her own Pokémon brought up claws of his own.

Contrary to his master, Logan the Weavile was indubitably, undoubtedly, _screwed_. You would be too, if you were up against a Pokémon like Gallade, who had a quadruple advantage against Pokémon like him, but it was made worse by the fact that while he didn't know it, Valdus the Gallade was one of the strongest of his kind.

 _ **KA-CHRK!**_

Okay, maybe Logan _did_ know it. Punching straight through a tree trunk was no easy feat!

Taking the opportunity, he got up close and threw a punch at the Gallade, who retaliated with a punch from his free hand. Both fists collided, but suddenly, Logan felt the energy sap itself from his hand.

" _Shit!"_ he cursed, jumping away just as the Gallade freed his other hand. Avoiding the subsequent swipe, he inspected his left hand, which was now a lighter shade of ebony than the rest of his body, though the colour was returning to it.

The Drain Punch clearly hurt more than he would have rathered.

 _"If there ever was a question as to why the Crown are worse than scum, here it is."_ He snarled, _"Overkill much, sending you to fight me?"_

 _"The word is pragmatism, my friend."_ The Gallade tapped his arm blades together, _"If you, by any chance, were acquaintances with a Drifblim, you'd send them after me too."_

 _"Tch. Fair point."_ With a grunt, he turned to run. No point in fighting a losing battle-

 _"And where do you think_ _ **you're**_ _going?"_

Logan skidded to a halt and gulped. Blocking his pathway this time was a Chandelure, and in her arms was a familiar Pawniard.

Tossing Screech to the floor just in front of him, the Chandelure leered. _"I hope you provide at least somewhat of a challenge."_

 _...Crap._

Trapped between a rock and a hard place, he had no choice but to go for the Luring Pokémon. Better a normal disadvantage than a huge one, even if he did have to risk getting burned for his troubles.

 _"All around the mulberry bush, the Wisp chased the Weavile!"_ She (at least, Logan thought it was a she) laughed, before shooting out a torrent of flame towards the weasel. Ducking under it, Logan felt the fire scorch a few hairs off his back as he sped closer.

Bringing up one of her arms, Wisp defended against the first onslaught, matching each strike with a smack from her arms.

" _The Wisp stopped to burn a sucker!"_

Suddenly, the Chandelure charged forward, and instead of attacking, she completely phased through Logan.

Pain exploded throughout his body, his lifeforce drained. Logan fell to his knees, clutching his body, which felt warm to the touch - something he was not supposed to feel as an Ice-type. Huffing, he flinched once he saw the Chandelure pointing an arm straight at him, the ethereal fire within glowing bright.

Pointing the stream of flame straight towards her opponent's face, she recited in glee, " _Pop goes the-"_

Except Logan _dodged_ , though one of the ear feathers his kind treasured was blackened in the process. Wasting no time in bemoaning his loss, he brought down a hand charged with dark energy _._

" _What the-" "Punishment!"_

Three razor-sharp claws found their mark, and in a single stroke, Wisp found herself short one arm.

 _"OOOOOOOOOW! You raspberry plastic tickle bear!"_ The Chandelure howled in pain, before a Night Slash sent her away and out-of-sight.

Sadly, he knew that the Chandelure would regrow that arm in time, so it was only a temporary victory. But a victory it was for the time being, and Logan raised a claw in agonized triumph.

Until the tapping of impatient feet brought his attention back to the Gallade. _"You sure you want to celebrate right about now?"_ Valdus taunted. One of his fists glowed bright red once again, as he readied a Drain Punch.

The Weavile weighed his options, before picking up the unconscious Screech, and preparing to flee.

 _"This is only going to hurt...a lot."_

* * *

 **A new challenger has appeared!**

 **The Fair Flower, Orchid Bloom VS The Mystical Maiden, Lynae Valedin**

 **BATTLE: START!**

* * *

Orchid found herself up against another girl who looked to be her age-

 _ **DONK!**_ "Yeowch!"

-dressed in green and white, with a high side-ponytail-

 _ **THUNK!**_ "OOOW!"

-who was currently beating her upside the head with a glorified stick.

Dodging to the side to evade the overhead blow, she was nevertheless struck when the girl pivoted her staff to the side, slamming into her stomach. Clutching it painfully, she backflipped off the ground to avoid the next staff sweep, before grabbing the staff with both hands on the rebound.

"Ha-hah!" she grinned, but not for long, for Lynae proceeded to use one hand to smack the staff down the base. This had the effect of pushing the staff _through_ Orchid's grip, jabbing into the poor girl's ribs. Wasting no time, she pushed down, and sent the pole up into her chin, lifting Orchid off the ground for maximum damage.

Pulling back the staff, she spun in a circle, before slamming the butt end on the Phantom member's shoulder. This caused her to flip over in midair, spiraling down to the soil in a crumpled heap.

At this point in time, Orchid was pretty bruised up, both in body and in pride, and was just about fed up with her circumstances.

Gritting her teeth, she looked up. The green-haired girl was holding the nine-section whip she had dropped earlier due to surprise, and had not a chance to recover due to being too preoccupied with dodging.

"What's wrong?" she heard the girl ask. "Can't keep up without a weapon?"

Then, the girl did something Orchid did not expect: with a flick of the wrist, she tossed the whip over. Catching it with one hand, the Fair Flower looked at it confusedly.

"Never let it be said I did not give you at least a fighting chance."

Taking full advantage of her opponent's generousity, she mumbled a quick "Thank you." before getting to her feet. Swinging the chain, she flipped it behind her head, before sending it at the green-haired girl. Smacking her arm, she pulled it back before she could react with the staff, and aimed low, hitting her in the left ankle and causing her to stumble.

Alternating high and low, she kept up the barrage of whip attacks, striking at the points in her adversary's body that she could not block in time. Unfortunately, it seemed like her opponent caught on quickly enough, for she was able to start knocking the whip out of the air on occasion, and-

 _ **THWIP!**_

"Oh no!" Orchid cursed. The whip had wrapped around the pole, and, with a jerk, the staff pulled the whip out of the hands of its owner, and off to the side. Once again, the bluenette was weaponless.

"Can't keep up _with_ a weapon either?" Lynae asked innocently.

In response, she groaned. _Oh Arceus, why me?_

 _Don't give up, mistress!_

Madame, off to the side, sent her a psychic note on encouragement.

" _Come out, from wherever you're hiding!"_ the Kirlia squeaked, " _I know you're there, I can sense you!"_

She edged backwards, and bumped into someone.

" _Eek!"_

Turning around, she faced the source of her sensory radar, and immediately understood why.

 _"Whoever said I was hiding, child?"_ the Gardevoir said sternly.

Quickly, Madame shot a Confusion bolt, only to have it be deflected by a similar, but more pronounced bolt of Confusion. Knowing she was outclassed in single combat, especially against the more formidable evolution of her kind, she Teleported away to behind a bush in the area.

Plotting her next move, she failed to notice the leaves behind her start to quiver.

" _It's no use, child. Just as you can sense me, I can sense you."_

At once, the Magical Leaf struck true, and each individual frond pierced through the Kirlia as if she was nothing more than smoke.

 _ **PIFF!**_

Which 'she' actually was. Turning around, the Gardevoir faced about ten of the same Kirlia, all holding charged up Confusion bolts.

" _A Double Team?"_ she murmured, not entirely surprised.

" _Of course!"_ Madame boasted, her voice coming through as a legion thanks to the combined output of her clones.. " _Why would I allow you to get the better of me so easily?"_

Valerie, the Gardevoir, was not fazed in the slightest. Lifting up a green hand, she pointed it at the copies, before her eyes glowed blue. " _Psychic."_

To her immense shock, Madame found herself - the real copy amongst her doubles - suddenly lifted up into the air.

With a burst of psychic energy, said doubles were immediately dissipated by the Gardevoir's immense power. Walking forward, Valerie placed a hand on Madame's immobile head.

" _Go to sleep."_

* * *

 **A new challenger has appeared!**

 **The Wayward Kitty, Ashley White/The Flourishing Fledgeling, Grace Elliot VS The Parasol of Pain, Cordelia Noble**

 **BATTLE: START!**

* * *

Oftentimes, anyone who goes into battle at a disadvantage of two opponents to one is either incredibly brave, or incredibly stupid. More often than not, regardless of said individual's power level, the numbers advantage usually meant that the two-man cell would likely hand their ass to them.

Unfortunately for Ashley and Grace, that notion was subverted in this case, and it was _their_ asses that were getting handed _back_ to them on a pink parasol.

C'est la vie.

Grimacing in pain, Ashley fired another arrow at their blonde opponent, only for the glorified umbrella to swat it out of the sky. Cordelia, sensing movement behind her, dodged the bow swing Grace had attempted, before grabbing her chestnut-brown plait with a gloved hand.

"How amateurish," she taunted, "If this is the best Phantom can offer me, then I believe we will have you all rounded up in a fortnight!"

Swinging the small girl around by her hair, the blonde Crown member then delivered a powerful blow with her parasol, using it akin to that of a golf club, and sending the poor girl across the field.

Crumpling to the ground, Grace groaned in pain. "I think one of my ribs are cracked."

"Can you still stand?"

"Yeah, don't worry, it will take a lot more than that to keep me down. But what are we supposed to do?" The twelve-year old girl frowned, both in frustration and pain.

"I know; I'll hold her off on the ground!" Ashley proclaimed, before continuing, "Get in the air, Grace, and help distract her for me from there!"

"Got it! Robin!" she hollered, running a short distance away for her partner to arrive.

As her Fletchinder latched onto her back, she watched as Ashley tried to fend off the woman, only to have her leg be caught around the umbrella's hook. With a pull, Ashley was swept off her feet, and the blonde wasted no time in kicking her away.

 _There's no time to waste! I trust in you, Robin! Let's assist Ashley!_ "Up!"

As Robin and Grace took to the skies, a different battle was taking place on the ground.

" _Hyah! Hyah! Hi-yah! Grah!"_

To Ria's immense frustration, not only was the Audino parrying her strikes blow-for-blow, she didn't even look to be in pain for doing so.

With a Feint, she ducked down, before smashing her fist across the cream body of her opponent, only to have her paw grabbed, and herself lifted up until she was eye-to-eye with Tabitha.

" _You need more practice,"_ she said, before her ears flared, and the resultant Hyper Voice sent her stumbling back.

" _More...practice...?"_

Ria gnashed her teeth, her pride hurt. " _Oh, I'll_ _ **show**_ _you more practice!"_

In the blink of an eye, she closed the distance between them with a Quick Attack-

As the glowing white fist, charged with the power of Return, slammed into her face, and sent her spiraling back down to the ground, where she stopped moving.

 _Wait for it..._

Approaching the downed Pokémon, Tabitha primped her ears. " _Well, that was easy."_

 _Wait for it..._

" _I find it quite hard to believe that you're supposed to be stronger than me,"_ the Audino cooed, before holding up the defeated jackal by one of her legs.

 _Wait for it...Now!_

Quickly, the Riolu charged up a Force Palm, and reached out to strike her opponent's stomach. To her sheer amazement and fright, the Hearing Pokémon had evidently anticipated her move, and had stopped her paw mid-attack, grabbing it for good measure.

" _My sincerest apologies, but I have had enough of surprise attacks for today."_ Tabitha apologized, before slamming her head across Ria's midsection. The sudden force ended up knocking her out for real.

Dropping the fainted Pokémon, Tabitha surveyed the other battles that were concurrently occurring. Sensing distress, she turned to find Cordelia under siege by a hail of arrows from above. Calmly, she formed an orb of yellow, electric energy, before focusing her aim.

" _Stay on target...Stay on the Fletchinder...Thunderbolt!"_

* * *

 **Phantom**

 _ **The Skybreaker:**_ Scott Bishop and Jax (Feraligatr) - _RedArrowCrasher_

 _ **The Silent Singer:**_ Gilan Callaghan and Screech (Pawniard) _\- emosewa13_

 _ **The Faint Smile:**_ Crimson Kaia and Logan (Weavile) - _PokéFreak45_

 _ **The Fair Flower:**_ Orchid Bloom and Madame (Kirlia) - _LuvCherice_

 _ **The Wayward Kitty:**_ Ashley White and Ria (Riolu) - _Isetba_

 _ **The Flourishing Fledgeling:**_ Grace Elliot and Robin (Fletchinder) - _PokeThatPokémon_

 **Crown**

 _ **The Iron Lady:**_ Taryn Riordan and Aeon (Lairon) - _Altomere_

 _ **The Viscount of Velvet City:**_ Glenn Callaghan and Wisp (Chandelure) - _emosewa13_

 _ **The Dancing Saber:**_ Lucas Valedin and Valdus (Gallade) - _TreblePlayer67_

 _ **The Mystical Maiden:**_ Lynae Valedin and Valerie (Gardevoir) - _TreblePlayer67_

 _ **The Parasol of Pain:**_ Cordelia Noble and Tabitha (Audino) - _SDproductions_

* * *

 **SD's Weapons Manual**

Sword and Shield: As expected for a woman of her knighthood, Taryn wields the classical pair of weapons most commonly featured in medieval stories. Crafted from steel, Taryn's knightly sword is straight and double-edged, with a single-handed cruciform hilt. It weighs a kilogram (about two pounds), and its blade is seventy-five centimetres long, rounded off with the fifteen centimetre hilt. She employs this in conjunction with the armament she is best known by: her Aegis shield. Sixty centimetres (almost two feet) in diameter, it is built out of interlocking planks of wood, casted with bronze, to create a smaller, but just-as-effective replica, of the eponymous 'Spartan' aspis. Five kilograms (eleven pounds) heavy, it's a testament to Taryn's immense physical strength that she's able to wield this!

Full-Contact Armour: Glenn, on the other hand, prefers to get absolutely up close and personal when he's beating his opponent. His elbow-length gauntlets are made of fully-articulated 18-gauge steel, featuring an almost uninhibited flexibility that feels as if he's not even wearing them - but _you'll_ feel the increased force. His greaves consist of light plate armour casted over a layer of felt, protecting his shins and tibia from injury and possible vulnerability. On top of that, he wears steel-toe boots that make each forward kick punishing to his prey. He takes care to clean and oil them all regularly - it wouldn't do to have the blood of his opponents rust the impeccably-forged weaponry.

Escrima Sticks: Gilan's choice of weapons are taken inspirationally from Nightwing, otherwise known as the first Robin (not to be confused with Robin the Fletchinder), Dick Grayson, 'Batman with social skills', etc. Forged from steel and injection-molded from polypropylene, each stick is highly durable, and can withstand blades and bombs alike. Eighty centimetres (about 31.5 inches) in length and two centimetres (about 0.8 inches) in diameter, they have a range and versatility factor that is hard to match by most other weapons, and are surprisingly light as well, weighing only about four hundred and fifty grams (just under a pound) each. Gilan wields them with astonishing dexterity, though he relies on it as his only defense, since he does not wear armour.

Twin Katanas: Curved, slender and single-edged, each katana is made from a special steel alloy of sorts termed _Tamahagane_ , combining high-carbon and low-carbon steel to create a deadly weapon used most famously by the samurai. Sixty centimetres (just under two feet) long and a kilogram (2.2 pounds) each, Lucas dual-wields these blades in battle, a gift from his father. Skilled in the art of _Ni-tō-kenjutsu_ , he has the capacity to disarm his opponents with lethal force - that is, literally 'dis-arming' their limbs. The one downside is that it leaves a lot of blind spots for him, but you'd have to get close enough to him first. Or shoot him from afar, but hey.

Staff: While Lynae wields a more offensively-based version of this iconic Shaolin weapon on occasion (we'll get to that in time), her preferred weapon of choice remains the six-foot-long (1.83 m) waxwood staff. Three centimetres (1.2 inches) in diameter and weighing in at about two hundred grams (under half a pound), the staff has earned the moniker of being 'the grandfather of all weapons', because there's nothing more embarrassing that being bested in combat by a stick, especially one taller than the person wielding it. But at least there's some consolation in the fact that Lynae is an expert in _bōjutsu_ , so when she's beating you senseless, you can be sure that she'll make it as quick as possible.

 **SD's Pokémon Manual**

[This section will be removed in favour of placing such information in an official forum - coming soon (hopefully, by the end of this year). Cheers.]

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _Damn, that's a long chapter. I'm well aware that it might not have been the best idea to write five separate battles like so since it detracts a little bit from each individual battle as a whole, but this was actually the second-drafted version, and it's something I'm more comfortable with doing. You should have seen the nightmare that was me trying to balance out battles while making them as fluid as possible. .-._

 _Anywho, that's another wrap on this chapter. For all viewers who are still here (somehow), I'll give you guys a little something-something incentive. Behold!_

 _(add FF net in front) topic/182403/141870664/1/Phantom-s-Crown-Crusade-The-Showcase_

 _What is that, you ask? Well, thanks to my good friend DJTiki, I've officially opened up a promotional/discussion forum on his Starfield, as shown. Here, I'm basically...Showcasing it. OwO In all seriousness, I really recommend you come down to the Starfield and say hi. It's a new forum dedicated to writing awesome and original content in Pokémon Fanfiction. New concepts. New ideas. New characters. While not an "OC Story Only" forum, we do value creativity above all else! Plus, the rest of us there are more than ready to welcome more people to talk to, and are totally chill with giving out advice and whatnot._

 _Anywho, even though this next section gets ignored a whole lot, here it is - the QOTC._

 _ **QOTC:**_ _If you were in the Crusade-verse, what weapons do you think you'd use? Alternatively, what_ _Pokémon would you want by your side?_

 _Any other news, hmm...Ah, yes. In the interest of the people who haven't watched it, I'll not spoil, but I've never quite enjoyed a Death Battle like the most recent one that came out just today - doesn't hurt that I like RWBY a whole lot after researching up on Neo for Cordelia, or my continued hype for the FF VII remake. Props to the winner, though, she nailed that victory in the hole._

 _That's all from me. Hope you continue to enjoy the Crusade. Cheers! (\\(OwO)/)_

 _Stay tuned to Chapter 8:_ _ **Reconnaissance**_ _._


	9. Chapter Eight - Reconnaissance

_A/N:_

 _*hums* I burn! Can't hold me now...You got nothing that can stop me- I burn! Swing all-_

 _*record scratch* Oh, this thing is still on? Whoops._

 _Ahem, anyways. I'm well aware I've been rather quiet as of late, but you can chalk that up to both the exam season, and the last few weeks being somewhat...emotionally charged. Luckily, the holidays have just arrived, but boy, do I have a lot of work to do, what with overseas applications and whatnot. OwO In return, I hope that this extra-long chapter will be enough compensation, as I've tried to fit a combination of all three kinds of writing styles I've done into it. I guess you'll see what I mean, as per the usual._

 _It's easier if you guys read on, yeah?_

 _More stuff at the A/N below, actually. There's something I really, really want to share with you, with regards to...stuff, hehe. :D_

 _That's all from me. I'm going to significantly enjoy playing as Cloud in SSB4, so allons-y!_

* * *

 **Phantom's Crown: Crusade**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Reconnaissance**

* * *

One moment, Grace had still been in the sky, perched on her Fletchinder, raining arrows down on the mean blonde Crown lady.

The next, all she could see were blinking lights.

A moment after that, she was hurtling to the ground. Just what in the world had happened to cause the sudden double-shift in peripherals?

Oh yes, now she remembered; she and Robin had been struck by a Thunderbolt.

"Oof!"

Her momentum downwards decelerated rapidly as she felt barbs of razor-like wind swirl from underneath her, pushing upwards and slowing her descent. By the time she hit the earth, it was if she had only fallen backwards from standing on the ground, instead of a long-distance freefall from the sky.

"Oh, Robin, good job!" She praised, "That Razor Wind really saved our butts out there!"

The Fletchinder got up from underneath her trainer, disoriented. " _I did what now?"_ she chirped confusedly, but happily - maybe she did something cool that she hadn't expected to do. Regardless, they had managed to land safely, so she was happy.

The good mood lasted for all of two seconds.

"Look out!"

"Huh?!" was all Grace could utter before the large, towering form of Scott Bishop, her mentor, almost crashed down on her. Key word being almost; the yell had given her the necessary warning to move out of the way.

That voice hadn't been his, though - it was a girl's voice. It sounded somewhat regal and imposing, yet warm and friendly all the same, and it probably only belonged to one of her other teammates.

 _Note to self: thank Orchid for the heads-up later._

For now, she quickly dove forward with her bow, attempting to catch the lady who had been chasing Scott across the legs, while he recovered from his fall. The lady, a blonde in shiny armour, didn't even attempt to dodge - as it would turn out, she didn't have to.

 _Crack!_

With one hard step, the wooden bow splintered into half, now joined only by the thin bowstring itself connecting the two ends. Grace fought back a shriek - that was her lucky bow of five months, and now she had to craft a new one!

At least she didn't get sliced into ribbons by the mean lady's sword right afterwards - Scott got back up on time, and blocked her attack with both sai.

"Jax, a little help here?" he called out, before forcing the woman back.

Immediately, his Feraligatr jumped into the fray, baring his teeth, claws raised. Joining him was Robin, who flapped her wings at the blonde defiantly.

As the woman lowered her weapons, Grace couldn't help but think something was wrong. The Crown didn't give up that easily, did it?

She received the answer in the form of a smirk, and a large, rolling figure that descended from the skies in front of them.

Slamming into the ground, the Lairon cracked and split the land beneath him into smaller lumps and chunks. A white glow rippled through the earth, before, all at once, a large quantity of rocks lifted themselves from the ground - the same rocks he had created by breaking up the land with his earlier attack.

" _Rule one! Never turn your back on me! And if you do,"_ Aeon yelled, as the move took effect, flinging the stones towards his opponent, " _You've no one to blame but yourself! Rock Slide!"_

The barrage of boulders slammed into Jax and Robin, and while the Fletchinder was downed in one hit (" _What was I supposed to do?! I'm doubly-weak to Rock!"_ she would later remark at a safer time), Jax managed to both catch the bird and shield their masters with his hulking frame.

Which unfortunately left him completely wide open for the follow-up, as Aeon charged the alligator, slamming into him with an Iron Head.

" _Gyaaaough!"_ He cried, very much in pain.

The momentum carried by the Feraligatr was enough to push him back, and while Scott was able to support his partner for a very short while, they ended up all collapsing into one crumpled heap in the middle of the clearing. Grace immediately scrambled over to Robin, and tried to tend to the bruises that were steadily forming on her bird's body.

As Taryn walked forward confidently to pat her Lairon for a job well done, her eyes shifted around, monitoring her subordinates as they also engaged in - and were in the process of finishing - their own battles.

"And just where are _you_ going, dear brother?" Glenn taunted.

Normally, Gilan would snark back some smartass response at his twin, preferably along the lines of: "Somewhere that isn't here." or the classic, "Away from you, where else?"

Unfortunately, the elder of the Callaghans (by ten minutes) had picked a rather appropriate time to taunt: that of only _after_ his metallic fist had impacted Gilan's face.

As such, he was sent flying backwards, and the force was enough that impacting one of his teammates did nothing to slow his momentum down. Having spent most of her attention focused on the dual-wielding greenette in the ranger get-up, Crimson was completely bowled over by him, and the two Phantom members were knocked back significantly from where they had been standing.

Shaking her head to clear the stars out of her eyes, Crimson heaved an internal sigh of relief. She had withdrawn her claws at the first sign of losing her balance, and was rewarded by the lack of any further injuries between her and Gilan - had she been a bit slower, or her weapons a bit less efficient, she was sure they would have cut into one or the other when they had landed.

Jumping to her feet, she immediately sent out her talons again, before bending her entire upper body completely backwards in a style reminiscent to that of a certain 'One'. The katana blades passed harmlessly overhead, and Crimson took the opportunity to follow up with a somersaulting backflip, kicking the swords with her high-heeled boots as she did. Luckily, this had the intended effect, and Lucas' weapons were forced away.

Landing nimbly on her feet, she suddenly found herself backed up against another human figure.

"Crimson?"

Thankfully, it was a familiar presence - her best friend and understudy.

"Orchid." she greeted amiably. This wasn't the first time they had found themselves back-to-back in battle.

"So what's the plan?" the bluenette asked, twirling her chain for emphasis.

Sparing a glance towards the other of the two people advancing towards the three - Gilan still unconscious to the side next to them - she noted both the waxwood staff, and the girl wielding it. The boy she had been fighting was probably her twin - aside from the obvious similarities in outfit choices, their weapons complimented each other well.

But two could play at that game.

"I need more time to check," she muttered for Orchid to hear, "For now, let's swap opponents - you should be able to handle this guy with your long-range whip against his shorter swords, and I'll cut the girl's weapon down to size."

She could sense her friend audibly sigh in relief. "Gladly. Let's go!"

Keeping their backs together, they spun a full one-eighty, and as Orchid immediately got to work by keeping the katana-fighter at a good distance, Crimson swatted the pole away in one swipe, notching into the wood for good measure.

As the green-haired girl backtracked a bit to study the new 'additions' to her staff, Crimson took the opportunity to study the battlefield. Scott and Grace were on the ground, their Pokémon with them, though their opponent, the ostensible leader of the Crown troops, wasn't going in for the kill just yet. Instead, the blonde woman was by her Lairon, and watching them all with her sword and shield drawn. Crimson understood immediately - having incapacitated Scott to an extent, she was now looking out for her own soldiers in case they were overwhelmed. A good, if somewhat overconfident maneuvre, but she figured the Crown had the skill to merit it.

In an attempt to find Ashley, her eyes trailed to where the rest of the Pokémon were engaged in a battle of their own. To her pleasant surprise, Logan, her Weavile, was defending himself with a fervor she had not seen for some time. She realized why almost instantly - at his feet were the unconscious forms of a Riolu, a Kirlia and a Pawniard. As the Gallade, Gardevoir and Audino trio got close, he fended them off, circling around the downed Phantom Pokémon in a protective manner. Deflecting a Flamethrower from the Audino with his claws, he shouted something in his own language she couldn't understand (" _Never!")_ , but the tone expressed his intentions.

She felt a swelling sense of pride at that - while Logan was a loner by nature (he had expressed as much when she had first encountered him away from his Sneasel pack), he was still very much loyal to and protective of the team, and this sight alone proved that.

But it was clear - the situation was getting progressively worse. It was time to pull out.

"Guess we'll have to rely on **that**." Crimson took a deep breath, before yelling across the din, "Remind me to take Ashley out clothes shopping when we get out of here!"

The shouting bit was intentional, and fortunately for Phantom, Ashley heard the signal from the other end of the clearing. And just in time, too - her bow had also been snapped in half by the woman in front of her.

"I believe she means _if_ you get out of here, Ashley, was it?" her opponent remarked, raising her glorified umbrella. She was seriously starting to get annoyed at the blonde at this point anyways, so it was a good a time as any to use her secret technique.

Grimacing at the bruises the parasol-wielding girl had already dealt her, she nevertheless forced herself to calm. Focusing her concentration into her very being, she pictured a well of energy, before reaching out and tapping into it.

 ** _I call upon the protectors who have blessed me with this sacred gift. I choose to use it not for violence, but for the safety of my friends. Let this infinite moment be used for the benefit of the greater good._**

 _ **The aura is with me.**_

Opening her eyes, she was both shocked and relieved to see the yellow parasol just mere inches from her face. Its wielder was glaring angrily at her, though the look was frozen on her oval face. Sighing in relief, Ashley stepped out of the parasol's vicinity, and looked around to ascertain that her aura had did its job. The other twenty-or-so people and Pokémon in her surroundings were all frozen in time, locked in the same poses they had been when she activated it, save for one.

" _Thanks a lot, Ash! I really needed this boost!"_

Picking herself off the ground, Ria dusted herself off. The aura boost had travelled over their shared link, and rejuvenated the jackal. Sharing a nod with her mistress, whose eyes were now glowing a brilliant light blue, they got to work taking the prone figures of their teammates and bringing them out of the clearing.

While Ashley had not been able to get into contact with any Aura Guardians (they were either deceased, in hiding, or affiliated with the Crown), she had quite a lot of time to experiment since the fateful day her powers unlocked for the first time. And quite a lot of time it was indeed - while she was fairly sure the effects were different for others, her aura allowed her to slow down time to a near-standstill, as it were.

 _How and when I acquired Aura is a story for another time,_ she thought absentmindedly, unsure as to why the thought crossed her mind in the first place. Carefully dragging Grace behind a tree, she moved on to Gilan - she and Ria had agreed that Scott would be last considering his massive size. Passing by the blonde-haired girl with the parasol, she briefly considered slapping her to make up for the pain, but quickly decided against it.

While she could safely touch and interact with her surroundings, she was unable to attack, or cause anyone legitimate harm, or her Aura would shut off by itself. It was likely a psychological barrier instead of a limitation on her power, but until she could get to the bottom of it, she would have to settle for merely rescue and transport.

Ah well. Small price to pay for the cost of getting everyone out in one piece.

Ten minutes into her verse, she felt her pool of energy dipping into the red. It was expected, since she had been injured by then. Luckily, she had managed to hide the rest of her teammates and their Pokémon in good places where they wouldn't be detected by a quick glance, so all was well.

 _I wonder how Tia's mission is going? Mae went with her, and two heads are definitely better than one...right?_

 _Yeah, they're fine, don't worry! I know Fang and Talis are gonna be!_ Ria laughed back.

Settling into a treeside alcove with the Riolu, Ashley took one last glance to make sure everyone was fine. Satisfied, she severed the connection with her aura, and time immediately began to flow once more.

* * *

"Hyah- huh?"

Cordelia blinked. One moment, that Phantom girl with the recently-broken bow (courtesy of her, of course) was standing there doing nothing. Then, her eyes suddenly turned blue, and the next thing Cordelia knew, the brunette had completely disappeared from sight. Even more strangely, it wasn't just the girl - the only people and Pokémon left in the clearing were all members of Fraternity. Very weird.

Glenn was, understandably, completely dumbfounded. "What the hell just happened?" he shouted at no one in particular. "First my idiot brother was right where I wanted him, and when I try to punch his lights into the ground, he straight up vanishes!"

Lucas shrugged. "I'd say it was a Teleport, but I'm pretty sure none of their Pokémon should have been able to use it."

"The Kirlia could, actually, but Valerie took her down soundly, so it couldn't have been her, right?" Lynae looked back at her Gardevoir for assurance, and received a calming flow and nod in return.

" _Aw, damn it all!"_ Wisp cursed, as she appeared back out of the shadows she had fallen into. " _I wanted to send the jackass who cut my arm off to the fiery pits of hell!"_

" _Not like that, you're not."_ Valdus snarked. " _If the Weavile cut through one arm, what makes you think you'd be able to burn him with the other?"_

" _Because your mother's a bitch, that's why!"_

Valerie stepped forward by her brother's side, her brows (or lack of them) knitted in a frown. " _Wisp, have you forgotten you are insulting not just one, but two of us?"_

In response, Wisp lifted up her only remaining hand, before extinguishing the fires on either side. Effectively, the chandelier was flipping the Psychic twins off, but the only reaction she got was the simultaneous eyerolls coming from the two green Pokémon. She was simply just as much a pain in the neck three years ago as she was now.

"Well, in light of the fact that none of us are seriously injured, and that we were all able to take down our opponents - rather convincingly, I might add - I suppose we can consider this mission a success." Taryn remarked, sheathing her sword.

"Excuse me?! May I interrupt?!" Cordelia bared her teeth. "The brief was to capture Phantom members, and none of us were successful in that venture! How can you call this a victory?!"

A flutter of the wings was the answer, even as Lunete landed on Taryn's open palm. "Remember, Noble," she said, petting the Swoobat, "That Morgan was keeping an eye on us from afar. The videotaping of this venture will certainly benefit us in the long run by identifying people-"

The rest of her message was cut off when a loud burst of noise erupted from Lunete. Quickly taking to the skies, she immediately started to produce bright sparks from the tip of her tail, causing them to flash for some time before disappearing.

 _It was certainly an odd time to use Signal Beam...What could she be using it for?_ Taryn thought, while checking her ears. Good, she wasn't deaf from that loud screech.

"Blimey, is that Morgan's Swoobat we're seeing?" Lucas asked.

"Well of course, it belongs to Morgan!" was the response from an annoyed Cordelia. "Prithee, can you think of anyone else in our general circle who would even use such a Pokémon?"

 _Three short bursts...three long bursts...three short bursts..._

"Is it...trying to convey a message?"

Lynae studied the flashes. She felt that she should have recognized them somewhere, but was struggling to recall just what it meant.

 _Three short bursts...three long bursts...three short bursts..._

Glenn cocked his head to the side. "Hey, wait, what is it trying to say?"

 _Three short bursts...three long bursts...three short bursts..._

 _S...O..._

"S!" Lynae shouted, realizing what the message was. "Morgan's in trouble!"

Taryn's lip quivered. "Everyone, back to headquarters," she ordered quietly, before shaking her head, and repeating the command with a much louder voice and an added, "Immediately!"

Without any hesitation, everyone followed quickly behind her as the group of ten hastened in the direction of the signal.

* * *

 _As the battles had been occurring, Phantom's true mission was currently being carried out by someone else._

 _Well, some-two else._

"Why did you tag along with me again?"

Mae shrugged as she and Tia ran through the woods. "You seemed to know how to escape when the others didn't, so I just thought it would be a good idea to follow you."

"It would have been good," Tia admitted, "If I was actually trying to escape."

Mae halted for too long, and slammed straight into a tree.

Rubbing her now-sore face, she glared at the older girl. "What do you mean, 'actually trying to escape'?" she asked. "If you're not escaping, where are you going?"

"Ecruteak City. Enemy unguarded headquarters. Now, catch up, or I'll leave you behind." was the response, as Tia sped away.

Grumbling, Mae obliged. It wasn't like she had anywhere else to go, and if she turned her back on Phantom now, she would probably be in deep doo-doo.

"So...Are we gonna run in silence all the way or something?"

Tia pursed her lips, before asking, "Okay, well, how about you tell me about yourself?"

Mae raised an eyebrow. "Me?"

"Of course, _you_ , d'you think I'm talking to Talis or Fang?"

Blanching slightly, her eyes shifted to their Pokémon, who were running alongside them. They were involved in their own conversation, so neither had caught her blunder.

"Well, why are you interested then?" the redhead asked, in an attempt to save some face.

"Why wouldn't I be?" the raven-haired girl replied. "All I really know about you so far is that you jumped from the Sprout Tower, and not much else. Like, what were you doing there in the first place? Or do you have any family members we'd have to contact and tell them the _wonderful_ news that you're now a member of the resistance?"

Mae was sure that was sarcasm. "Well, if you can find my mother, that'd be great. Good luck with that, though - I haven't seen her half my life," she admitted honestly, "And I doubt she's in any state to miss me either."

"...Oh." _Great, now_ _ **I**_ _feel bad for asking._ "If it's any consolation, Mae, I'm sure you'll find a family with us at Phantom." Tia smiled half-heartedly, hoping that she was able to appease Mae for her comments earlier.

She supposed it worked - the girl looked noticeably more content. "I'll hold you to that, then. For now, mind explaining to me about why we're leaving everyone behind if we're supposed to be one big family?"

"Well…"

* * *

 _She entered the room, adjusting her white t-shirt and faded jeans as she walked. Tia didn't really consider herself a fashion-conscious person, but she was starting to grow just enough out of them that, if she lifted her arms, her midriff would be showing._

 _Her boss, Yoki Kohzo, the famed Revolutionary, had a mug in one hand, and a folder of papers in the other. "Ah, Tia." he greeted. "Today is a training day in the outdoors for you, isn't it?"_

" _It is indeed, sir." She folded her arms, smiling. "Though, considering you've called for me, it's not just going to remain a training day, is it?"_

" _Pretty much." Setting down the cup (though not before taking a sip), Yoki opened the ring file for Tia to see._

" _Earlier on, intel sent me a notice that our training group may receive some...unexpected visitors." Flipping through the papers, he stopped at a picture of what appeared to be a Pokémon gym. "They are part of a taskforce named Fraternity, who have currently set up base in the ex-Ecruteak gym."_

" _How strong are they?" she asked._

" _Fairly. We should be able to rely on Ashley if things go south, though, but that's not of importance at this point; at least, not to you."_

 _Tapping Ecruteak Gym with a finger, he explained, "Intel has it that they're a pretty small group - about five or so. Their names are here, if you're interested, but if all goes well, you shouldn't be encountering them at all."_

 _Glancing at the second name in the list, she grimaced. "Arceus, I hope not."_

 _Yoki chuckled. He knew of her history behind_ _ **that**_ _man. "Partly why I'm sending you to do this mission, so that you won't have to meet the guy face-to-face. Up for it?"_

 _She cracked her knuckles confidently. "You know I am."_

" _Good. Stay in contact for updates." Yoki concluded with a smile, taking another sip._

" _Yes, sir."_

* * *

"And that's about the gist of it." Tia concluded, before turning her head with a bemused expression. "I suppose there really isn't anything wrong with making it a duo mission - it's always good to have backup in case something unexpected occurs."

"I...see." was all Mae could say. That really had been a lot of information for the young girl to take in. "I...guess it's my turn to share?"

The older girl smiled, though her expression turned neutral. "You might have to wait a bit. We've arrived."

Indeed, as Mae looked forward amongst the trees, she could make the outline of quite a few buildings on the distance. A large tower, though not on the level of Sprout Tower, loomed ever closer.

" _Oh goody goody! We're back in Ecruteak, and ready to kick some pasty Crown butt!"_

" _...Dork."_

"Welcome to Ecruteak." Tia acknowledged, as they cleared the forest and made their way to the outskirts of the admittedly-beautiful city. "If the intel I've received isn't wrong, the guards are not heavily patrolling this side of town, but just in case-"

Taking out a regular Pokéball, she motioned for Fang to come closer. The Poochyena understood immediately, and with a yip, approached his master. A toss, a flash of red light, and he was back in his Pokéball.

Watching her, Mae motioned for Talis to do the same.

" _But it's craaaamped!"_ she whined.

Nevertheless, one click of the ball later, and the two girls went back to looking like ordinary, definitely-Pokémon-less, civilians.

"Okay, keep your eyes out for a building with a ghost-like engraving over the double doors." Tia said, as the two walked through the streets of Ecruteak City, doing their best to stay conspicuous. So far, it seemed to be working - none of the relatively few citizens nor the relatively fewer guards around so much as batted an eye, though one young boy did wave 'hi' at them, and they waved back out of obligation.

While it was nowhere as fanciful as Kingsport, she could tell Ecruteak City was definitely a step up from Dusk City (then again, almost anything was a step up from there). The streetlights Mae had seen the first (and hopefully the last) time she had flown over them swayed gently in the wind, and the tower looked to be in good condition - she could see a few people applying what looked like paint to the exterior.

"This place...doesn't look half-bad, actually."

"I'm not surprised it doesn't," was the response. "Aside from Goldeneye, where the prince resides, Ecruteak and Kingsport are treated much better than the rest of the cities under the King's rule. They say it is because he doesn't want to offend Ho-Oh."

The picture of a Staraptor circling a globe re-entered Mae's mind, though instead of her flying on its back, this time, it was carrying an obese man with a large beard and a faux-crown strapped to his head in its talons. She giggled at the mental image, causing Tia to look at her weirdly. "Did I say something funny?" she asked.

"Long story- oh hey, is that the building?"

Thumbing the structure in question, Mae watched as Tia followed her line of sight, before cracking a smile. "That it is," the raven-haired girl nodded, mildly impressed. "Good eye, we might just make you a sentry just yet."

"I don't think I'd like to become a bird though," she commented innocently, causing the older girl to laugh briefly.

As they got closer to the entrance, Tia signalled for Mae to keep an eye out for surveillance. The redhead obliged, and the duo approached the giant, metal, double doors. Testing them, Tia groaned - they were locked from the inside, by an electronic lock, no less. She was pretty sure that they couldn't fake identification in the time they had, so it would seem that they'd have to get in by other means. Turning to her junior, Tia received a shake of the head.

"No security cameras...How odd." she mused.

Spying an opened ventilation window to one side, the raven-haired girl motioned for her junior to climb on my shoulders. "Don't worry, Mae, I can handle your weight." she affirmed, bending down to allow the redhead to get onto her. Standing up moments later, she carefully made her way over to the aperture, allowing for Mae to pull herself up and into the building. As her feet disappeared over the side, a moment passed before she stuck her head back out.

"Can you pull me up?"

It was slightly harder, considering their difference in size - Tia was a full three inches taller than the young girl - but Mae figured she could just fall and lift her with gravity.

And fall she did.

As they travelled down the long hallway, Tia's ears pricked up. The pitter-pattering of small footsteps was barely audible, but it was definitely there. She held up the last three fingers on her right hand and flexed them.

' _Keep your head low'_ , Mae remembered. Along with the knife training, Tia had taught her some basic hand signals used by Phantom. Aside from the mandatory ones like 'stop', 'go' and 'get Yoki his coffee' (she wasn't sure what to make of that last one, but the more you knew, she supposed), she also learned a few that Tia used during missions with low...visibility?

Was that the word she used for it?

Anywho, she complied, and crouched down. Her senior did the same, and they found themselves behind a cardboard box on the left side of the hallway.

Opening up a hand-mirror, Tia subtly shifted it to get a closer view of whoever it was down the passage. Though it was still quite some distance away, she could tell that it was a lone Mawile. Judging by its size, she estimated that it was still rather young, or at least, not grown to full maturity yet. It was relentlessly pacing the hallway in no clear pattern, and appeared to be mumbling something under its breath that she didn't - or rather couldn't - understand.

" _Oh,_ _ **they**_ _get to go pummel the bad guys and smack Pokémon around, and_ _ **I'm**_ _resigned to guard duty. As if anyone would actually attack this place! Very funny, Morgan; you owe me a whole junkyard's worth of scraps when we're over and done with, you hear me?"_

"You don't happen to speak Pokémon, do you?" Mae whispered rhetorically, receiving a deadpan stare in return. "Kidding, kidding. What do you think we should do against...whatever that Pokémon is?"

"It's a Mawile. Dual-type Steel and Fairy, and a physical attacker," Tia tried to recall the infosheet on the black-and-yellow Pokémon that Tech had compiled in his database. "Its steel horn is particularly strong, so I doubt we'll be able to take it with just our knives…"

An epiphany occurred to her. _Wait, is this_ _ **that**_ _Mawile? I guess I'm not too surprised - if the guy is as powerful as intel says, he could get away with just leaving a Pokémon as a guard._

"Hmm..." Mae pondered alongside her, before an idea came to the young girl. Taking out Talis' Pokéball from a pocket, she showed it to Tia, who shrugged. _I guess we don't really have that many other options. Worst case scenario, they'll have to be a necessary distraction,_ she reasoned inwardly, before taking out her own. "Quietly, Fang, come out."

Peering around the side with her mirror, she was relieved to see that the Mawile had not noticed the red flashes of light. Running her fingers through Fang's fur, she whispered in his ear, "I need you to get close and take down that Mawile for me. Talis will join you - I want you both to get rid of it as fast as you can. Be careful; it's been noted to be powerful, or at least stronger than most."

Saluting with a paw, Fang looked over slightly to where Talis was being briefed as well.

"Now, sweetling, I need you to get rid of-" Mae let her peek over the boxes, "-that Pokémon for me. You'll have Fang to boss around, so use him wisely."

" _Wait, what?"_ Fang protested quietly, but was shushed with a paw from the red fox.

" _I call the shots."_ Talis grinned. " _Besides, didn't I beat you earlier today? You're pretty much required to listen to me."_

Fang looked mildly annoyed, but shrugged and bared his, well, fangs, with a smile. " _I guess you have a point. Let's do this then!"_

Sneaking around the boxes, the two canines crept closer, until they were about a metre or so away, hiding behind yet another small row of boxes. Peering over the top, Talis eyed the foreign Pokémon, who was still busy pacing and talking to himself. Something about ' _wondering how Ohm was doing back in the cap'_ \- she had no idea who this Ohm was, and it didn't really matter.

" _You know, you're kinda heavy- oof!"_

Fang, who she was using as a footstool, was rewarded for that comment with a smack from her tails. " _Rude."_

" _Doesn't make you any lighter, y'know."_ he quipped back.

Slightly peeved now, Talis reluctantly got down from her perch. " _Anyways, I know what we should do,"_ she elaborated. " _You go out there and lead whatever it is-"_

" _It's a Mawile."_

" _Well, lead it back to me, and I'll burn it to knock it out."_

" _So you're basically using me as bait."_ Fang deadpanned.

" _Do you have any better ideas?"_ Talis yipped, itching to get on with her master plan.

" _Well, I have a suggestion."_

" _Go on, what is it?"_ Fang muttered offhandedly, before his blood froze.

That had been a _male_ voice.

Evidently, Talis had realized that too, for the two canines turned their heads upwards to see the black-and-yellow Pokémon that had been pacing the hallway earlier; only now, he was leaning on top of the boxes and peering down at them.

" _You could afford to talk a bit quieter,"_ the Mawile quipped, a devious grin on his face. " _You never know when the enemy has particularly good ears."_

Tia watched as the Deceiver Pokémon dropped to the floor, before using a hand each to clothesline both Fang and Talis, sending the three into an adjacent room and out-of-sight. Wincing in sympathy for her poor partner, she nevertheless had to quickly clamp her hand over Mae's mouth to prevent her from giving away their infiltration.

"Shh...They'll be fine. It's two against one, what can a small Mawile do against your Vulpix's flames?" She explained to the silenced redhead over her now-muffled cries of "Talis!" and whatnot. "They'll be fine. For now, focus on our mission, and stay quiet."

Grudgingly, Mae acquiesced, and with a nod from both girls, Tia removed her hand. The two quickly darted through the hallway, arriving at the door at the end.

As they got closer to the imposing door, they could hear a faint voice from within, though it grew louder as they got closer.

"Lunete, Air Cutter. Slow down that girl's descent, now!"

 _Tch...I see._ Tia thought inwardly. _I guess he stayed with his Pokémon here. A commander who refuses to place himself in danger on the frontlines...Doesn't even take the time to get to know the names of the soldiers he's trying to lead..._

 _Just the exact kind of person that sickens me._

Opening the door slowly, they looked inside. There was a blond-haired boy, dressed in a long, dark cloak, standing in front of a desk with a large monitor on it, with his back to the door. On the screen was an aerial view of two distinct groups of people, one of which Mae recognized near-instantly.

"That's the rest of our training team…" Mae whispered to Tia, who nodded. While their faces were blurry and indistinct, it was easy enough to make out both Crimson's qipao and Scott's muscled body - that, and the other group was wearing shiny armour, something Phantom had in short supply.

"What do we do?" Mae continued to mumble softly.

"Leave it to me." Tia tapped her knife, "But cover my six - if he tries anything funny-"

"Sorry, cover your what?"

"Watch my back."

"Oh."

Tia shook her head. "In any case, if he tries anything funny, or manages to get around me, I'm afraid he'll be a very dangerous opponent. As such, I'm going to trust in you to help me take him down." She smiled. "I hope that trust isn't unfounded?"

To this, Mae felt a strange sense of pride. She couldn't recall the last time anyone had placed so much faith in her - even more so considering the two girls had only really known each other for less than a day. But she certainly wasn't going to let her down. "Let's do it."

The knife felt a little less heavy in her hands after that.

Oblivious to the private conversation occurring from behind him (then again, he hadn't been expecting any unwanted...visitors), Morgan cheered as Lunete made a safe landing on Taryn's outstretched hand. Seeing as his teammates had been able to force the enemy into a fold, and that he had been able to record the entire thing on video, he beamed. "Good, we're one step closer to capturing them-"

It was then Morgan realized he wasn't alone in the room anymore, just as he felt the distinct edge of a knife under his chin.

"Don't try anything. Don't make any false moves." Tia threatened, tightening her grip on the knife for good measure. "Now, tell me how to access your information and records, _sir_ , or the blood spurting from your neck will be the last thing you ever see."

The blond elected to remain silent, though, at the proximity she was at, she could feel the heart beating rapidly in his chest.

"You have ten seconds. Ten-"

"Lunete, use Uproar, then Signal Beam the others."

This prompted a confused "Huh?" from the Phantom girl, before he yelled, "Now!"

A loud burst of static erupted from the headset, catching Tia off-guard. In that moment, he forced the top half of his body backwards, delivering a reverse headbutt, slamming his head into hers with an audible, "Wham!"

As she stumbled backwards, she pulled the knife to her in a rush, hoping to at least incapacitate her opponent. Unfortunately, being prepared this time around, said opponent swerved hard under her blade, completely ducking under it, though he wasn't able to prevent the microphone of his headset from being sheared off.

 _Aw, come on, I paid good coin for that!_

In one fluid motion, he removed the now-imperfect earphones, before flinging the device at her face. Already mildly disoriented from the initial blow, Tia was unable to block the thrown item, and subsequently unable to prevent the blond from kicking her in the midsection, knocking her away from him.

Before Morgan could properly assess the situation, he was made aware of the presence of a second girl rushing towards him. Taking advantage of his inability to react in time, Mae had gotten close enough to jump at him, swinging the knife over her head like Tia had taught her to do earlier that day.

"Gyaaaaaah!"

Fortunately, she had misjudged the timing of her attack, and, instead of cutting more lethally into his shoulder like he assumed the redhead was trying to do, she had reached over and jabbed the knife into his left shoulder blade. Still it _hurt_ ; the surrounding area screamed in pain, and the metal digging into his flesh felt searingly-hot. Worse still, he immediately felt his left arm going limp - whether it was an aftereffect of the shock or a permanently damaged limb, he didn't know yet, he at least hoped it was the former.

The puncturing sensation was not alien to Morgan, though he certainly had never been stabbed in the back before, figuratively or literally.

Winding back his only good hand, he drove his right fist into centre mass, catching the girl across the stomach. Mae's scream of righteous indignation died in her throat as his next attack pushed her away from him by said throat, and back towards the door.

Coughing to get her voice box working again, the redhead turned to Tia. "What do we do now?" she asked, before turning back to Morgan.

"Well, there doesn't seem to be any alternative to a fight, so let's take him down." Tia cracked her knuckles, before raising her knife. "Mae, be careful! We're in for a hard fight!"

"We're two girls with knives against one guy who's injured and unarmed!" Mae stated confidently, raising her own knife, its edge coated with blood - his blood. "How hard can it be?"

 _Injured? Urgh, that hurts, so definitely. But unarmed?_

A grim smile found its way onto Morgan's face, as he made to draw his rapier, only to realize his blade was not by his side.

Looking over to the far end of the room where he had placed both the estoc and his pair of fighting knives on a chair, he groaned. _Of all the times I choose to polish my weapons and leave them out to dry,_ he sighed inwardly. _Well then. Guess I'm going to have to disarm them the old-fashioned way._

* * *

 **New challengers have appeared!**

 **Tia Harmon/Mae VS The Astral Blade, Morgan Lockwood**

 **BATTLE: START!**

* * *

Mae dove forward, swinging her knife in a wide and high arc. Ducking beneath the attack, Morgan dove into a roll-

 _GAH OW SHOULDER! Okay, massively bad idea, why did I even think of doing that?!_

-knocking her off her feet, and sending the poor girl crashing into something behind him. Getting up, he immediately weaved under the raven-haired girl's swipe - clearly, she had to be the more experienced of the two.

Deflecting the flat of the blade with an open-palm strike, Morgan followed up by elbowing Tia in the face, before changing stances and sweeping low. Not at all dazed by the hit, she jumped and avoided his kick, before attempting to deliver one of her own across the boy's face.

Unfortunately for her, he parried _that_ , stopping her foot and effectively rendering her helpless for the next moment. Grabbing hold with his right hand, he spun around, throwing the girl across the room and onto her companion. Mae, having just gotten up, was knocked back down, as Tia landed nimbly on her feet, crouching low to the ground.

Swinging her knife again, she managed to nick the man on the arm, but he was too fast for her to land anything more. To his credit, Morgan wasn't just dodging her attacks - he was also paying attention to the way she moved. She attacked by swinging the knife around in wide, but focused strikes, and kept moving from side-to-side, in order to prevent a straightforward attack or parry.

Which felt too familiar...Hang on, hadn't he seen the same strings of attack somewhere else? Wait, not just seen... _Learned_ them?

Pushing her back with a front kick, the thought hit him like a brick. "These tactics…I recognize them." His eyes widened in an epiphany. "Holy hierarch, I remember now - they're _Crown_ knife manoeuvres!"

This prompted a gasp from both opposing parties, but while the redhead, who had picked herself off the ground, stayed shocked, the black-haired girl snarled, and charged forward.

"Tia, wait!"

He sidestepped her easily, simultaneously grabbing her dominant hand, before squeezing hard, and causing her to drop her knife.

"Miss...Tia, was it? Just _where_ did you learn to fight like that?" Morgan asked with genuine curiosity, while dodging her subsequent jabs and punches.

"Never you mind!" was the response. "Now, hands off!"

Seeing as the redhead was now coming towards him again, Morgan obliged, swinging Tia in an arc, before letting go and slamming her into Mae. The force was enough to cause the younger girl to drop her knife as well, and at this, he grinned.

 _Perfect. Here's my chance!_

His right hand dove into one of the many pockets sewn into the interior of his cloak. Confirmation that the knives inside were the ones he were looking for came in the form of the light, tingly feeling that coursed throughout his fingertips. Withdrawing the trio of blades, one between each finger, and the attached mesh that came along with it, he flung it at the two girls.

"Trinity Spark!"

Shifting away from each other, the momentum of the knives was enough to spread out the surface area of the net, until it was large enough to capture a Charizard.

"H-Hey!" "What the-"

The net wrapped around Mae and Tia, with the knives acting as armaments to spin the webbing around them, until they were bound tight, shoulder to knees, back-to-back on the floor. Annoyed that they had been caught, and without a knife to cut themselves out of it, Tia attempted to pull apart the rope when-

 _BZZT!_

"Kyaaaaaaah!" she wailed, body freezing up from the pain. Whatever the net was made of, it was electrifying to the touch!

* * *

"...Trinity Spark? Geez, and I thought I finally quashed the need to name my attacks…" He murmured to himself. "Ah well. Old habits die hard." Collapsing onto a chair, Morgan wiped away the beads of sweat that trailed across his forehead, before wincing. Now that the rush of adrenaline had faced, his shoulder started to throb painfully again.

"What the hell is this stupid thing-" _BZZT!_ "Uwaaaaa!"

Turning to the girls, he guessed it was now the younger one (Mae, he supposed) who was doing the shouting. She was nursing both hands - likely, she had tried to rip through the net, and had gotten shocked for her trouble.

Reaching for a mug of water (thank Arceus that hadn't fallen over during the fight), he took a long gulp, before elaborating, "What you're stuck in right now is a modified Electroweb of my design. It's harmless, for the most part, unless you try to tear it apart - in which case, you release the current and, as you may have guessed, get electrocuted."

Setting it down, he concluded, "Basically? You're not going anywhere anytime soon."

"Oh yeah?" she cried, though she had a smile on her face, as if she knew something he didn't, "We still have our Pokémon, and they'll be right here as soon as-"

" _Special delivery!"_

With an opening of the door, Art leisurely strolled into the room, dragging two piles of fur behind him. Tossing what Morgan identified as a Vulpix and a Poochyena to the floor in front of him, the Mawile shrugged. " _The two of them combined couldn't even get a freaking hit on me, so bashing their heads off to lalaland was easier than I- right,"_ he facepalmed, " _Can't understand what I'm saying. Nevermind."_

"Talis!" the redhead cried, staring at the Vulpix, horrified, before turning to stare at him with a look of hate written across her face. "Let me out of here, and I'll punch your face in, you little-"

She halted when Art bared his jaws at her, and roared. Scared speechless, she resumed glaring at the Mawile, the loathing apparent.

"You know, you can't keep us in forever, right? Even without our knives, we'll get your Electroweb off eventually, and you can't stop us from escaping." Tia taunted, loud enough for her captor to hear.

"Really, though, even if you could get out of my snare, where would you go?" he asked. Infuriatingly enough, she couldn't detect any actual malice in his voice - just pity. "Surely not the way back you came - especially when I've got some friends coming over?"

He winced. "Arceus, I hope they come over quickly. Art, can you do me a favour and dab on some water? I need to at least sterilize this before getting myself to a proper medic."

Shedding the cloak, he shifted the T-shirt off to one side, allowing his partner to apply the liquid. Seeing as how the girls were probably in no mood for small talk ( _Bzzt!_ ), he waited patiently as the Mawile tapped his wound with a wet handkerchief from his satchel, until a knocking sounded out from the window.

" _Coming, sis!"_

Art got up from his spot on the table and unlocked the window, allowing Lunete to fly in and settle on Morgan's good arm. He beamed when he saw she was relatively unhurt. "Great job out there, Lu. I guess the others will be coming soon?" he asked rhetorically.

As the sound of hurrying footsteps drew closer from the direction of the hallway, Tia groaned. It was clear - she had been outwitted. She had failed in her mission, and was now at the mercy of the Crown forces.

And top it all off, she'd gotten Mae caught up in it. She shouldn't have allowed the young girl to come along with her - and now _she_ was also under the heel of the Crown.

 _Damn it all...I don't even know what's worse - getting the 'privilege' of being interrogated, then beaten up because I'm not supposed to know anything..._

 _Or the report I'll have to write for Yoki if I somehow make it out of here. If I even have both hands intact, that is. At least it looks like I'll be treated a little better - I guess this guy isn't too bad of a commander-_

Her train of thought was interrupted when the door opened, and an all-too-familiar voice sounded out, "Well, well, well...If it isn't my little Hidden Huntress."

 _Oh, Giratina._ _ **Him**_ _._

Glenn Callaghan sauntered into her line-of-view, before kneeling down and grabbing her chin. "It's been awhile, hasn't it, Tia?" he crooned, staring her in the eyes. "Miss me?"

* * *

 **Phantom**

 _ **The Skybreaker:**_ Scott Bishop and Jax (Feraligatr) - _RedArrowCrasher_

 _ **The Silent Singer:**_ Gilan Callaghan and Screech (Pawniard) _\- emosewa13_

 _ **The Faint Smile:**_ Crimson Kaia and Logan (Weavile) - _PokéFreak45_

 _ **The Fair Flower:**_ Orchid Bloom and Madame (Kirlia) - _LuvCherice_

 _ **The Wayward Kitty:**_ Ashley White and Ria (Riolu) - _Isetba_

 _ **The Flourishing Fledgeling:**_ Grace Elliot and Robin (Fletchinder) - _PokeThatPokémon_

 **Crown**

 _ **The Iron Lady:**_ Taryn Riordan and Aeon (Lairon) - _Altomere_

 _ **The Viscount of Velvet City:**_ Glenn Callaghan and Wisp (Chandelure) - _emosewa13_

 _ **The Dancing Saber:**_ Lucas Valedin and Valdus (Gallade) - _TreblePlayer67_

 _ **The Mystical Maiden:**_ Lynae Valedin and Valerie (Gardevoir) - _TreblePlayer67_

 _ **The Parasol of Pain:**_ Cordelia Noble and Tabitha (Audino) - _SDproductions_

* * *

 **Phantom**

 _ **The Hidden Huntress:**_ Tia Harmon and Fang (Poochyena) - _We're All Okay_

Mae and Talis (Vulpix) - _Skittlinq_

 **Crown**

 _ **The Astral Blade:**_ Morgan Lockwood and Art (Mawile) - _SDproductions_

* * *

 **SD's Weapons Manual**

Throwing Knives: Perhaps a more fitting nickname for Morgan would have been _**The**_ _**Astral Blades**_ , for he carries a very large quantity of these small knives within the recesses of his cloak. Each individual knife is about ten centimetres (four inches) long, rounding off with a five centimetre (two inches) hilt, but their beauty lies in their weight - forged mainly from titanium, they weigh twenty-five grams (just under an ounce) apiece, allowing him to carry so many of them in the first place. As shown, Morgan has a tendency to upgrade these knives of his to suit his purposes - along with electricity, [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]-coated variants also exist.

* * *

 _A/N:_

" _Hey, how come_ _ **my**_ _battle scene was glossed over?!"_

 _Shush, Art, no breaking the fourth wall._

 _Fun fact: while most of the chapters so far have been in the range of fifteen to twenty pages, this one spanned a total of twenty-five! I kept second-guessing myself, thinking that the chapter didn't have enough content, so I kept delaying until I was, well, satisfied._

 _Anywho, that's another wrap on this chapter. I guess I'm dropping the QOTC - I don't think a lot of people even notice it. But fret not! I understand it takes up a lot of time to review, especially if you're only just getting back into this. If anything, I'm one to talk - I don't review as much as I really should. OwO_

 _But that's not all! My birthday might be coming in less than two weeks, but thanks to a very close friend of mine, she's actually taken the time to draw, you guessed it, Morgan and Cordelia, my two characters. In fact, she's drawn much more with her pencil sketches, but I'm particularly really,_ _ **really**_ _happy to see the digital art she's drawn as well! Come take a look in the Showcase Thread, and leave a comment while you're at it, thanks!_

 _That's all from me. Hope you continue to enjoy the Crusade. Cheers! (\\(OwO)/)_

 _Stay tuned to Chapter 9:_ _ **Detention.**_


	10. Chapter Nine - Detention

_A/N:_

 _You know the drill, leave a review. :D No, seriously, I've created an energy machine that absorbs reviews for fuel and uses them to power me on through the nights in my conquest to give you all more chapters on shorter amounts of time!_

 _Jokes aside, I've recently turned sixteen, so, whoopee, I guess. I'll appreciate any and all well-wishes and fan mail sent my way, especially if they happen to involve art. Or Art, though I cannot say I would like a real-life Mawile to chew up the already-adorable plushie of a Mawile in my room. Or worse - he might try to flirt with it!_

 _Ignore that last part, I'm still pulling your leg. Do as much or as little as you want, because, in the end, I'm just happy to keep writing for your entertainment._ _Without further ado, allons-y!_

* * *

 **Phantom's Crown: Crusade**

 **Chapter 9**

 **Detention**

* * *

As the documents emerged from the printer, a hand gathered them up, and leafed through them with the patience of a Tauros.

That is to say, none at all.

"Tia Harmon. Born in Velvet City, only child of Lord Damon and Lady Elicia Harmon, sixteen years of age this year, noted to have a Poochyena whose nickname appears to be 'Fang'. Specializes in stealth and reconnaissance missions, personally trained by Lord Thomas Callaghan in knife-fighting and self-defense. Disappeared from active rollcall in the thirteenth year of the King's reign, one year ago, at the age of fifteen."

The girl in question flinched as the man holding the papers - her former boss, Glenn Callaghan - slammed them down in front of her. "Confirmed turncoat of the Crown and currently a member of the resistance group known infamously as Phantom," he smirked. "You know, the day you left, I almost considered deleting your files. You were pretty much dead to all of us, including your dear mum and dad."

"Leave my parents out of this, _Viscount_ ," she hissed. If her wrists weren't handcuffed to the table, she would have socked him in the face by now, and that was including the likely repercussions it would entail.

While by nature a calm and collected girl, there were quite a few things that would set Tia off. Case in point, the shit-eating grin of the man whose actions were personally responsible for her defection in the first place.

"But they convinced me otherwise. Had faith that this was just a phase, that you'd go back to being their faithful little daughter and soldier of the Crown." He shook his head. "Now I gotta tell them the bad news: she ain't ever coming back. What a crying shame..."

He cupped a hand around her chin - having removed his gauntlets before the impromptu interrogation session, it was much less uncomfortable than the first time he'd done it directly after her initial capture. "I wonder who's gonna take it worse? Them, or your friends over at Phantom, like Gilan-"

"Hey!"

Their heads both turned towards Mae, who was still struggling against the handcuffs. "How in the world do you even know him?! Gilan told me no one knew he was a part of-"

She stopped struggling and stared at him, only noticing the physical similarities at this point in time. "Hang on - why do you _look_ like Gilan?"

Stopping his interrogation with the older girl, Glenn turned his attention to the redhead. "So you're one of them too...Well, let me tell you a story."

"One year ago, there was a major accident in Kanto, specifically, in Velvet City. On a regular patrol around the neighbourhood, three guards came across an escaped rebel from the King's dungeons, and attempted to accost him on the spot. In retaliation, the man sent out his Steelix, and in a moment of blind frenzy, two of the three guards were caught in the rampage."

He paused in his storytelling to hold up three fingers. "The first of them was a young woman, barely in her teens. Although she was not well-known, she had been trained by one of the best men in the area, and was both a skilled knife fighter and recon specialist."

"The second was the very son of the man who trained her, a young, brown-haired man who enjoyed stick-fighting. He also happened to have a twin brother- Do you see where I'm going with this, ginger?" Glenn asked, receiving...a snore in return?

Tia couldn't help but giggle slightly - even though they had been trapped in a very serious predicament, it looked like the fatigue had caught up, causing Mae to go out like a light in the middle of his apparent soliloquy.

 _Crack!_

It was considerably less funny when the Viscount slapped her awake, however.

"Ow...What gives?" was the first thing Mae said, shaking her head.

"The insolence...How dare you fall asleep in the middle of my-"

"How dare you slap a girl!" she retorted, "Seriously, didn't your parents ever teach you not to hit girls?"

A snort escaped from Lucas, who, having also slept through the monologue, was jolted awake by the familiar comment. "Déjà vu."

"Well, my parents conceived Gilan, so I'm pretty sure neglecting to teach me proper gentlemanly etiquette was the _least_ of their sins!" Glenn snarked. "There's a good reason I'm the older brother, even if it's only by ten minutes - I'm more responsible, more loyal-"

Mae cut him off. "But compared to him, your fashion sense sucks!"

Unfortunately, that might have been the straw that broke the Camerupt's back. "Why you little-" he howled, winding up a fist, before throwing it-

A hand stopped him short.

Following the arm back to its owner, the Callaghan glared at his green-haired teammate. To his credit, Lucas scowled back with the same intensity.

"That's going too far, Glenn. We're Fraternity - we're a taskforce, not a torture squad." he asserted, keeping his grip firm on the former's hand.

They continued the staring contest, neither willing to back down. Until suddenly-

"Look, if you two are going to kiss, get it over with."

The two immediately scrambled away from each other and backed up against opposite ends of the room, allowing for Lynae, who was carrying a box, to pass through between them. "Honestly, I could cut the tension between you two with one of Lucas' katanas."

"Oh, shut your face, Lynae!" Glenn howled, the red tinge on his face plain for all to see - though whether it was due to rage or embarrassment was up for grabs.

"Can't believe I'm agreeing with him on something, but seriously, it's not like that, sis!" Lucas continued, just as flustered.

Swishing her ponytail as she walked, she set the box down beside the two captives, before turning to her teammates. "Then stop trying to get in each other's faces. We're supposed to be working together, not against each other, y'know?"

Evidently, she had gone unheard, for the two resumed their glaring contest, though the distance remained at room-length.

"They...do know we're still here, right?" Mae whispered.

"I think so?" Tia murmured back, unsure.

"You."

They both leapt in their seats. Lynae was holding out an ice pack, presumably from the inside of the cardboard box she had just opened. "Did Glenn hit you? If he did, I'm terribly sorry - he's a prick."

"I can hear you, y'know!"

"Doesn't make you any less of a prick." she muttered under her breath, such that only the two other girls could hear her. Following a brief laugh, she held the cold bag to Mae's cheek, prompting the younger girl to sigh in relief.

"Look, we don't really want to keep you gals here, but you can't exactly deny that you're not members of Phantom. Even if we choose to ignore that fact, you still injured our commanding officer, and broke into private property," she explained sympathetically. "Like it or not, we're obligated to keep you for questioning, and besides, you're only going to spend the night here."

"Really?" Tia raised an eyebrow. She had never met the greenette before, but the Crown soldier sounded sincere, which didn't make any sense.

Lynae tilted her head to the side. "You're bound for Goldeneye City on the morrow. Right now, it's technically just...a detention of sorts, I guess."

 _Oh Arceus... Well, this certainly complicates matters. Section E has the capabilities to break into this place, but breaking us out from the royal palace?_

 _Do they even know we're gonna be transferred there?_

The raven-haired girl groaned. "As if things couldn't get any worse."

Suddenly, Mae perked up. "Talis!"

Lynae, who had been distracted by watching the silent squabble that was going on in the background, turned her head back. "Sorry, what?" she asked.

"Where's Talis? What have you done with her?" the redhead demanded.

Tia, figuring that the greenette didn't know about the Vulpix's nickname, piped up on her behalf, "What she means to say is, what happened to our Pokémon?"

 _I wonder how Fang fared against that Mawile…?_

* * *

 _Urgh...What the hell happened?_

 _The last thing I remember is...trying to run away?_

 _Run away? From what?_

Slowly, the consciousness returned to Fang. He was lying on something soft and furry - it wasn't unwelcome, but it certainly did not feel like anything he had woken up on before.

 _Too much hair to be Uncle Jax. Too warm to be Screech. And definitely bigger than Ria...What in the world am I sleeping on?_

To be fair to Fang, he hadn't yet opened his eyes, but once he did, he was greeted by orange, and lots of it. His head was lying on what appeared to be a rather large, soft, pillow, and it felt really comfortable...He nuzzled it with his nose, enjoying the charcoal-like smell, and the slight heaving of the-

Wait...what?

" _Y'know, she's probably going to roast your arse three ways from today when she finds out what you're doing to her."_

He flinched, and whirred his head around. The speaker had been a grey-and-white Pokémon - it looked like an Aron, but much bigger, and more imposing. Maybe it was an evolution?

" _No, seriously, kid, get off her before she wakes up."_ Aeon continued, though his expression of amusement couldn't be deciphered. " _Or else, well, I dunno, I'm not gonna ask her what'll happen to you when she finds out."_

 _Her? She? Who's…_ Fang's mind processed all the possibilities and all the females he knew (which weren't many to begin with), before finally coming to a conclusion, his jaw dropping with each passing second.

 _Her._

" _You mean..._ _ **if**_ _she finds out,"_ murmured Fang, carefully lifting himself up from the rear end of a certain Vulpix. " _Yeah, if...'If' is good."_

 _Slowly, back away...She won't ever find out...What she doesn't know won't hurt her...or me-_

" _Bwahahahah! He touched the butt!"_ a shrill voice yelled, and Fang collapsed in shock. Luckily for him this time, he fell backwards, and avoided a grisly fate at Talis' hands- er, paws.

On the other hand, he certainly didn't fancy his chances against the Chandelure that had just phased in out of nowhere, even if she only had one visible arm.

" _Urgh...Who touched whose butt?"_ Talis groaned, rubbing the underside of her chin. Something inside her mouth felt like a chipped tooth, but that wasn't important, was it?

Desperate to quickly avert the answer, Fang pointed at Wisp with a paw. " _Talis, enemy, burn them!"_

Immediately, she sprung to action, jumping a small distance away, before crouching down on her forepaws.

 _No time to centralize my aim, but the thing's so close, I can't possibly miss!_

Drawing from her completely untapped internal reserve (she wasn't sure how that was possible, seeing as she remembered being in a battle before blacking out), she felt her mouth heat up to a good temperature. This time, she made sure to concentrate hard in priming her attack, and was rewarded for it. " _Fire Spin!"_

The ensuing flame was once again released, but this time, it was much more controlled and focused. The stream of fire left the fox's mouth, travelling in a magnificent cascade-

And was absorbed by the Chandelure, who cackled in glee.

" _C'mon, why won't you burn?!"_ Talis yelled, increasing her firepower.

Words couldn't even begin to describe what Fang felt at that moment. He dropped his snout into his paws, so completely done with the situation he was in.

" _As much as we would like you to continue your pointless attack-"_

Suddenly, Talis felt much hotter than usual. Looking around, she realized she was being contained in an invisible dome. The fire she was releasing was being deflected back at her, resulting in her entire vision being filled with the red-hot flames itself.

It didn't really affect her, since she had figured out long ago that she could absorb fire-

 _Oh. So_ _ **that's**_ _why that oversized candelabra was unaffected._

Shutting off the attack, she looked around. Everything was tinted a light pink, but that was likely a side-effect of the forcefield or whatever it was.

Her eyes settled on the Gardevoir that had just appeared in her field-of-view, whose red eyes blinked back owlishly, before she closed her fingers. Instantly, the pink hues disappeared, and immediately after, the flaming chandelier turned to the new arrival. " _Oh what the hell! I was almost done regenerating a finger!"_

" _-We have no intention of letting our associate here regain her arm quite so fast, you see. That means you, Wisp,"_ the Gallade next to the Gardevoir finished, with a frown.

While the three continued their conversation, Talis turned to her 'partner', seeing him covering his eyes with his head drooped low.

" _What are you scared of looking at, huh, Fang?"_ she asked, tapping the wannabe wolfling on the shoulder.

" _I think he's not scared, little one; just heavily disappointed."_

She yelped, before turning to the Lairon - she had seen the Pokémon before in one of Mae's picture books. Preparing to attack again, she was interrupted by an outraged yell.

" _Oi, I deserve at least a little respect, you pricks!"_ Whatever the blue-and-black thingamajig was, it shot out a stream of fire towards the two Psychic-types, who dodged the attack.

" _I have returned-"_

As the door to the makeshift recreational room opened and Tabitha stepped in, she was immediately assaulted with fire.

" _Whooooooooooooops!"_ Wisp giggled cruelly. " _Didn't mean for you to become my target!"_

Ceasing the attack, the Chandelure looked on at the Audino, now coated in a fine layer of soot, and looking back at her, unimpressed. She laughed again, before aiming back at-

" _Wait, what the fu-"_

In the blink of an eye, she completely phased through the ground, shooting downwards as if something was dragging her underneath the surface. Indeed, it was the case - once Tabitha was satisfied that she was kept in a fixed position about two metres below, she stopped her hold on Gravity, and left the Ghost Pokémon where she belonged - six feet under.

" _...As I was saying."_ The Audino shook off most of the smudge. " _I have returned with the basic profiles of the Pokémon right before you, though they have now been lost to our_ _ **dear**_ _associate that will not be leaving her subterranean prison anytime soon, and the necessary bindings required to keep them in line."_

Producing a pair of handcuffs, she turned to Mae and Fang, who instinctively flinched once they saw that she had a very unnerving smile on her face. " _We could do this the easy way, which involves you cooperating with us fully, and if you do, we'll put these on for you nicely."_

" _And on the other hand,"_ Aeon droned, the Lairon patient but stern-sounding. " _If you want to resist, go ahead. Just know that there's four of us and two of you."_

" _You've just born witness to what I can do with a simple Gravity. Do you want to see what else I'm capable of? Or what someone like Valdus and Valerie here,"_ she pointed at the Gallade/Gardevoir twins, who nodded in sync, " _Show you your place? Whatever decision you make, you're getting into those links in the next minute. The choice is all yours."_

At this, Fang lowered his voice sharply. " _The hell do you think we should do now?"_

" _Why are you asking me?"_ Talis asked, slightly uneasy. " _You have more experience, what do you normally do in this sort of thing?!"_

" _I haven't done this sort of thing, and besides, you have the authority here."_ Fang retorted.

 _"That was a one-time thing! Look, can you just think of something we **can** do?"_

" _Well, we'll resist, of course! At the very least, we can't show them that we're pushovers!"_

 _"Alright, let's do it!"_

They would stand strong. They would stand defiant. They would escape from this place, free their masters, and then-

" _Yo, we're back with some munchies, what's new on the agenda?"_

At the very moment, a very familiar pair of faces pushed open the doors. Lunete flew in and took a stand on the nearest chair, letting the small box of food strung up by her tail to drop onto the floor below. _Mmm…_ Aeon could smell the tastiness radiating off of that one.

Following that, Art, his hands full of paper clips, strode in, munching on a few. Stepping on one of them that had probably fallen through his small fingers, he tripped and fell face-first, scattering his snacks across the linoleum floor.

That wasn't the highlight, though.

Now, Aeon had seen quite a few white Pokémon in his tenure. Aside from himself, there were the Gaga twins (his nickname of choice for Valdus and Valerie, not that he'd ever tell them that), who were white-and-green, and Elise, his boss, who also had some red-and-blue on her anyhow.

But he had never seen a Pokémon _turn completely white_ quite so fast.

The colour drained from the Poochyena and Vulpix so quickly, it was there one second and gone the next. Immediately, both Pokémon let out a high-pitched yip (the Poochyena moreso than the Vulpix, he noted), and, to put it nicely-

" _OHSHITOHSHITOHSHITOHSHITOHSHITOHSHITOHSHITOHSHIT-"_

-tried to get the everloving heck out of there.

The female of the two immediately pounced over to Tabitha, shocking the Audino for a fraction of a second. " _GET THAT MONSTER AWAY FROM ME PUT ON MY CUFFS-"_

The Poochyena shoved the Vulpix over, before yelling, " _HEY, CUFF ME FIRST, I WANNA LIVE A FEW EXTRA MINUTES!"_

In response the fox got up and tackled the wolf, screaming all the while, " _NO LET THAT MONSTER GRAB HIM! I HAVE LESS MEAT ON MY BONES, CUFF ME EASIER!"_

The rest of the Crown Pokémon looked on as Art got up, before dusting himself off, and picking a paper clip off the ground to munch on.

" _That's dirty, bro, at least wash them first..."_ Lunete said, distracted. Her eyes weren't on him, but instead on the carnage he had unleashed by simply stepping into the room.

" _Holy Arceus. Art, what the actual hell did ya do to make 'em so scared like that?"_ Aeon asked, genuinely curious. He knew the Mawile was a pragmatic fighter, but really, woah.

What could have possibly happened when he was taking down that Feraligatr?

* * *

"-and as such, we shall commence transfer of the two captured members of Phantom, including ex-Crown soldier Tia Harmon, to Goldeneye City as soon as your assigned escort arrives tomorrow. They will then be turned over to your majesty's interrogation squad for further questioning. Thank you. Respectfully yours, Taryn Riordan."

Satisfied with her reply, she sealed the letter in an envelope, before walking over to the window. There, the Pidgeot she had loaned from the capital waited as she tied the letter to a claw, and dropped a few coins into the pouch strapped around it, and patted it on the head gently. "To Goldeneye. Thank you."

Watching the retreating form of the bird, she leaned back in her chair and sighed. "I don't understand why we have to make this so official since Morgan can just contact him at any time, but I suppose better safe than sorry." Taryn smirked, as her mind wandered to the leader of the prince's security back in Goldeneye City. "William always did prefer an official record of stuff going on, even if he doesn't-"

A knock on the door interrupted her train of thought - at this point, Taryn was sure it was quickly becoming a recurring happenstance for her. "Enter." she said, nonplussed.

The door opened to reveal Morgan and Cordelia - the former had shed his cloak and traded in his t-shirt and under-armour for a regular long-sleeve shirt. The tip of the bandages was just visible by the crook of his shoulder, but otherwise, he didn't look any different from the first day she had met the boy. "Are you feeling better, Morgan?"

"Evening, Miss Rio- Taryn." he corrected himself. "I am well, thank you for asking. Anywho, judging by the fact that I don't see the Pidgeot anymore, I assume that the wrap-up has been completed?"

"Done and done," she shrugged. "I do think we could have handled the situation ourselves, but considering Glenn's history with Tia, it's best we turn the girls over to headquarters to settle. The both of you will be flying off tomorrow morning, is that correct?"

"Yes, I- wait, _both_?" He turned to the blonde by his side, seeking confirmation.

Cordelia nodded. "It is as she says, Lockwood. My father has instructed that I fly back to the capital to settle some matters on his behalf. I admit I am rather curious as to what these matters are since he has not informed me as to what they entail, but nevertheless, I shall heed his request."

"As such, you will accompany Noble and the two captives back to Goldeneye City." The other blonde in the room finished with a nod.

 _...Wait, huh?_

Now, Morgan didn't like to flaunt his title as the Right Hand of the Prince very much. Aside from putting himself on an uncomfortable pedestal, it was a constant reminder of the fact that he was considered more important than a good portion of his friends, acquaintances and most of the commonsfolk - his prince and counterpart notwithstanding, amongst other more important people like the King himself.

But for him to have to accompany Cordelia and not the other way around? That meant that she had to be someone extremely important...But then what was she doing as a soldier in Fraternity?

 _Just who exactly_ _ **is**_ _she?_

Resolving to clear his doubts later on, he answered clearly. "Duly noted. I don't suppose you'll be calling for me again anytime soon?"

"Possibly. I see that look on your face, and I assure you - don't worry, we'll take care of ourselves just fine," Taryn rolled her eyes good-naturedly at that last bit, before she walked over and opened the door again. "Now, let's relieve the others from guard duty. I'm fairly certain something very amusing has occurred in the meantime and we were the unfortunate ones that were unable to bear witness to it."

"You left the Callaghan brat and the Valedin musclehead in the same room together. What did you think was going to happen?" Cordelia snarked, walking through the doorway.

"Hey, insulting Lucas was uncalled for." Morgan quipped, following right after.

Walking the short distance to the impromptu holding room, Taryn pushed open the door to a very...odd sight.

In the middle of the room, over a table, Lucas Valedin and Glenn Callaghan were staring at each other again, waged in a silent battle of wills over what looked to be...cards?

"Pray tell, what do the two of you think you're doing?" her stern voice caused the two boys to look up from their game.

"Poker, Taryn, don't act like you've never played it before. And with that being said," the brunet slammed his hand down. "Full house, Aces over Kings! Bring it on!"

His opponent laid down his hand with a smirk. "Royal flush, hearts. Consider it brought, Glenn."

"Bullshit, you cheated!" the Viscount swept the cards off the table, before grabbing Lucas' hand. "I challenge you!"

The green-haired youth, knowing exactly what he was proposing, nodded. "Challenge accepted!"

"One!" "Two!" "Three!" "Four!" "WE DECLARE A THUMB WAR!"

Unimpressed, Taryn turned her attention to the trio of girls sitting by the bench. The younger of the two captives from earlier today was holding an ice pack to a rather sore-looking cheek with one handcuffed hand, and holding what appeared to be an ice-cream cone with the other.

In fact, all three girls were simultaneously licking these ice-cream cones.

She quirked an eyebrow, and received a clearer answer. "Lucas and Glenn got into another catfight over how to go about talking to these two girls," Lynae motioned to the captives on her right. "So far, they started with just staring at each other, but it escalated from that to Rock-Paper-Scissors, arm-wrestling, to poker-playing-"

"Ha! I win again!" "That's only round one, best of three!"

"-and as you can see, they have progressed on to thumb wrestling." Lick.

"I have to admit, Glenn embarrassing himself is one of the few reasons I'm not in any urgency to escape." the other girl confessed, taking another cautious lick.

Tia had to admit, the girl probably hadn't poisoned the ice-cream considering her honesty with them, but she had to be careful nonetheless.

Mae had no such problem, and was in the process of devouring her third.

"Oh, when did your aunt sent in a new batch of Casteliacones?" Morgan strode forward and bent down, inspecting the package of sweet treats.

"Just this morning, actually. They arrived a while ago, and they're still packed in ice, so..." Lynae reached into the frosty interior of the box and pulled out a few more. "Care for one, Morgan?"

"Oh, yes, thank you, I will care for one." He accepted the ice-cream, before getting back up. "I'll just be around, I guess - and Lucas, Callaghan's distracted, go for the kill now."

"Oh, screw you too, Lockwood!" But it was too late, for Morgan had already left the room. Simultaneously, Lucas' thumb found home, and he whooped in celebration.

"That's complete bullshit! Three out of five!"

Through this, the Iron Lady watched the proceedings with an impassive look on her face, before sighing in defeat. "May I have a Casteliacone too?" she turned to the greenette, who was only too happy to oblige.

Nobody seemed to have realized that Cordelia had already left the room a long time ago, except the blonde herself, who was now walking back down the hallway.

"I doubt I'm ever going to understand the inner machinations of these plebeians," she muttered under her breath, eager to get as far away from the holding room as possible.

Stopping at the lounge that the Crown Pokémon had unofficially deemed their own room, she opened the door to find her partner. "Tabitha, I am in need of-"

" _ESCAPE!"_

A sudden flurry of activity by her feet caused Cordelia to stumble backwards briefly. Looking down and away, she only recognized the fleeing backs of a Vulpix and a Poochyena - the two Pokémon that had been confiscated from their captives.

She then looked inside to see her faithful Audino, Tabitha, admonishing the Mawile that belonged to Morgan (Art, was it?). She seemed to be in the process of scolding him, and to the Deceiver Pokémon's credit, he looked at least somewhat sheepish. The rest of the assembled Crown Pokémon were content with watching the two of them, digging into the Pokéblocks and rice balls that her father had sent with his letter.

She sucked in her breath. _My word, what has that brutish rogue done to cause such raw fear amongst the two?_

* * *

 _Pushed back into the storeroom, Talis got back onto her feet just as fast. Preparing to launch a Fire Spin, she suddenly found that she couldn't open her mouth - the reason for that came in the form of the black-and-yellow_ _Pokémon she had been tasked to take down._

" _Nuh-uh!" the self-proclaimed hellion sneered, right in front of her eyes. "No fire for you!"_

 _Jamming his fists in the same direction, Art effectively forced Talis' jaws into each other with a Sucker Punch. She felt one of her teeth crack under the blow, before blacking out._

 _Meanwhile, Fang got up, only to see his partner down for the count, and currently being held by her tails by the black-and-yellow beast._

" _Batter up!"_

 _The Poochyena whimpered and turned to flee, before the Vulpix caught him over the head._

 _And again._

 _And again._

 _And again- you know what I'm implying with this._

 _Wiping off the single bead of sweat, the Mawile grinned as he surveyed the two unconscious canines. He briefly considered the list of things that were appropriate to say at this point in time, but a proper pun didn't come to mind, so he opted for the simple, "Nailed it."_

 _Satisfied, he went to go find some paper clips._

* * *

Once he was certain none of his associates had tailed him out of curiosity, and that he was definitely alone, he turned on his Pokétch. Messaging the silent pictures he had taken of Tia and Mae with it to one of his _other_ associates, he stopped for a moment to admire it.

The watch was a technological work of art, and had been provided to him graciously by the very same person he was now intending to call.

Selecting the appropriate number from his contact book, he entered the digits in reverse order - one of the many precautions he took to ensure the secrecy of his employers. Polishing off the Casteliacone (it was delicious, he had to ask the Valedin twins to thank their aunt for it later), he waited as a few rings passed, before the call patched through.

However, the answerer wasn't the prince.

In fact, the answerer wasn't _human_.

A yellow-and-red electric mouse grinned back at the blond, who recognized the Plusle as Joule, one of the castle's Pokémon. _But if she's the one picking up, that means-_

"Is Maeve there?" he ventured.

Recognizing the name as belonging to her mistress, Joule nodded excitedly. Presumably, she picked up the Pokétch (as the screen shook and wobbled), before throwing it into the air. A pale hand caught it, screen facing its palm, before turning around to face its owner.

From what he could see, she was dressed in the newest standard-issue maid uniform that Queen Marilyn had commissioned about half a year ago - a white apron over a black dress, with a white, short frilled headband that kept the ebony hair to just above her forehead. Her choice of hairstyle - a high ponytail, bound by a red hair tie - exuded an air of self-assurance and serenity, complemented with brown eyes just like his own (and their employer, now that he thought about it).

Indeed, it was his counterpart - the Left Hand of the Prince, Maeve Harker.

"-please don't do that, Joule, this is really, _really_ expensive and- oh!" It was then that she realized that he was watching from the other side. "Morgan!"

"Good evening, Maeve," he greeted with a smile. "Can't say I was expecting you or Joule to pick up the watch, though it isn't unwelcome."

"Likewise. Might I enquire as to the purpose of your call?"

It was an open secret between the two that Morgan did consider her to be rather attractive, but they had agreed quite early into their acquaintance that neither had any real romantic interest in the other. It was less complicated than it sounded, but simply put, their relationship was strictly professional and would remain that way in the (hopefully) years to come. That, and if the whispers of the other maids in the palace were any indication-

"Is Gabriel preoccupied at the moment?" he asked.

She looked to the side. Judging by the position of the lights in the office she stood in, it was directed towards the prince's personal room. "He is currently in the showers, as it were. It has been a long day of training."

"Explains why you picked up, I guess." Scratching his head, he wondered what to say next. "Umm...if it's not too much hassle for you, can you ask him to call me back as soon as he is comfortable? Today's mission...ended in a way I did not expect."

A flicker of confusion danced across Maeve's eyes. "Did not expect? Surely it could've only ended in success or failure?"

"Well, yes. I mean, no- I mean-" he coughed. "I'll explain later, promise."

"If you say so. I'll brew up some tea in the meantime - I feel like this explanation of yours might take quite a while," she smiled neutrally, setting down the Pokétch. "I'll see you with Gabriel in a bit, I suppose?"

"That you will. Thank you. Goodbye for now." And with that, he cut the connection, before entering his call log and clearing his records.

 _Your safety is my priority._

Checking his inbox to see whether or not a certain person had replied, he was greeted with...nothing.

 _No new messages?_ he frowned. _Great, now I have to check up on_ _ **her**_ _again._

He didn't even have her name saved as one of his contacts, in case his watch really would fall into enemy hands, but it wasn't an issue. Punching in a number he had memorized by heart by the fourth week of his service, he waited for the answer tone.

The call patched through, however, no one showed up on screen - his contact had probably set it to voice-only, which was definitely new for her-

"Dunham Funeral Services," the peppy voice on the other end greeted. "You stab 'em, we slab 'em!"

 _If it had actually_ _ **been**_ _her. So much for memorizing the number by heart._ "Oh, sorry, I must have keyed in the wrong number." he apologized, embarrassed. With that, he cut the call, before a look of comprehension dawned on him. "Wait a minute..."

Checking his log, he groaned, and re-dialed the same number. Instead of a blank screen, this time, it lit up to show a rather youthful-looking girl, who had chest-length dark-blonde hair. A pair of hazel eyes, filled with mirth, indicated that she had been the one behind the last prank answer, while she covered her mouth with the sleeve of her black roll-neck jumper. It certainly was the person he was looking for, but at this point, he was just peeved at falling for her trick...again.

Even though, and with great embarrassment did Morgan admit this, she was _two whole years_ older than him.

"Psychic Take-Out!" she stifled another laugh. "That'll be $12.68, and it'll arrive in about half an hour. Please remember to tip the delivery girl-"

"DQ!" he admonished, mildly annoyed at the now-laughing visage of the girl on the other side of the call. "Stop doing that, seriously!"

"Well, if you'd stop falling for it, I'd quit!" Wiping away a tear with a turquoise-dyed end of her hair, she continued, "So, what's up? You don't usually call me at this hour - heck, you don't usually call me at all! Did something important happen to Gabey?"

She clutched herself and mock-swooned. "Or perhaps, you've finally worked up the courage to confess to someone as beauteous as muah?" Giggling, she faux-kissed the air a few times. "Oh imagine that, the valiant Right Hand of the Prince is about to profess his long-held feelings to his gorgeous, intelligent and magnificent _senpai_ who's two years older and-"

"Faces." Morgan deadpanned. "Names."

This caused the blonde to sober up almost immediately. "Details," she motioned.

"Sent." He facepalmed. "You're supposed to acknowledge the fact I sent you an important message with a reply affirming that you've received it. I only called you because, as you're very well guilty of, you haven't replied." he muttered, massaging his forehead.

"...Riiiiiiiiiiiiight. Sowwy!" Impishly, the girl known to him as DQ shrugged. "Well, no harm done, here's your reply, so toodle-oo! Say hi to the others for me!"

And with that, the feed cut off, and the screen showed a 'DISCONNECTED' sign to indicate that the call had, indeed, ended.

Morgan sighed heavily as he cleared his log once again. How he managed to stay sane dealing with _her_ for the better part of a year was still beyond him.

 _She's not bad at her job, don't get me wrong, but she needs to takes it more seriously..._ He thought to himself, pacing a bit to clear his mind. _If anything, Maeve would probably be better suited for it-_

* * *

Said Left Hand sneezed - she wasn't sure why, though it was probably the air conditioning. Shrugging it off, she set down the tea set that had survived the calamitous sneeze uninjured, if a little shaken.

Pouring the first serving of Pecha Berry tea, she fanned the teacup slightly, before waiting for the arrival of her master. And arrive he did - the nineteen-year old prince walked through the door that connected his study to his personal bedroom.

He was dressed in a light-grey top, with black trousers and a pair of equally-black slippers, and was drying the last droplets of water from himself with a dark towel, in sharp contrast to his dirty-blonde hair, which swept over his brown eyes in a wave. The other things on him that exuded colour were the bright red pendant adorning his right wrist, secured in place with a leather cord, and the blue-and-yellow electric mouse that was currently hitching a ride on his shoulder.

"Good evening, Prince Gabriel." she greeted with a curtsey.

"Good evening. Is there anything I should _now_ be aware of, Maeve?" He addressed the young woman, eyeing the refreshments. Without hesitation, Ohm, his Minun leapt from his shoulder to the worktop, grabbing a few assorted berries in his stubby little fingers.

"Yes, my prince," she answered, watching as the blue mouse leapt down from the mahogany table to offer a Pamtre Berry to Joule, who accepted it with a smile. This in turn caused Maeve to smile herself, before she recomposed her thoughts. "Morgan has quite a few things to discuss with you. He bade you call him back at your earliest opportunity."

"Again, Gabriel is fine." He laughed. "No need to stand on formalities when it's just the two of us, Maeve, I thought we had gone over this last time."

"As you wish, pr- Gabriel." she corrected herself, smiling. It was one of the many quirks that made the prince such a desirable employer to work under.

Sitting down on the swivel-chair, he drank a sip of the refreshing beverage, before picking up his Pokétch from where it lay and a small book. The first page contained the name he needed, and he entered the corresponding number into his device.

"My prince," Morgan greeted with a bow as soon as the call patched through, "I have a lot to discuss with you."

"So I've heard. Again, Gabriel is fine-"

He was interrupted by the youth, who pointed to the prince's left with a grin. "Ah, but there's _not_ just the two of us present, now is there?"

Looking at an equally-grinning Maeve, who was standing by his side, ready to act at a moment's notice, he shook his head in mock-defeat. "Point conceded." Gabriel acknowledged with a small grin of his own, before frowning slightly. "You seem to be favouring your right side of the body while standing...Were you injured in combat today?"

The blond laughed - he hadn't quite put it past his liege to notice details like that. "It's nothing serious, don't worry. Just a small nick on the arm that's still healing." He lied smoothly - no need to trouble Gabriel more than was needed. To prove his point, he rolled up his sleeve to where Tia had actually grazed him - the wound had been bandaged and cleaned, much like the bigger wound on his back he didn't feel the need to publicize.

"That's good to hear." He nodded, before reaching over for a tape recorder.

"Authorization: Gabriel Kingsley, Crown Prince. The following is a recording of a meeting of the utmost secrecy, conducted between myself, Gabriel; Maeve Harker, my personal maid; and Morgan Lockwood, my personal bodyguard. Let us begin council."

* * *

 **Phantom**

 _ **The Hidden Huntress:**_ Tia Harmon and Fang (Poochyena) - _We're All Okay_

Mae and Talis (Vulpix) - _Skittlinq_

 **Crown**

 _ **The Viscount of Velvet City:**_ Glenn Callaghan and Wisp (Chandelure) - _emosewa13_

 _ **The Dancing Saber:**_ Lucas Valedin and Valdus (Gallade) - _TreblePlayer67_

 _ **The Mystical Maiden:**_ Lynae Valedin and Valerie (Gardevoir) - _TreblePlayer67_

 _ **The Iron Lady:**_ Taryn Riordan and Aeon (Lairon) - _Altomere_

 _ **The Parasol of Pain:**_ Cordelia Noble and Tabitha (Audino) - _SDproductions_

 _ **DQ:**_ ? and ? - _CrimsonSkyTamer_

 _ **The Right Hand:**_ Morgan Lockwood, Lunete (Swoobat) and Art (Mawile) - _SDproductions_

 _ **The Left Hand:**_ Maeve Harker and Joule (Plusle) - _WereDragon EX_

 _ **The Crown Prince:**_ Gabriel Kingsley and Ohm (Minun) - _WereDragon EX_

* * *

 _A/N_ _:_

 _Gonna be doing a little something different now. The space below will henceforth be declared the bonus space (to be renamed and at my own discretion), where I'm putting scenes that either a. did not fit in the main story but are helpful to explain certain events, or b. omakes that should be taken just for fun._

 _So...Have a few bonus scenes, I guess. The first one is canon, but didn't have the same tone as the rest of the chapter, which is pretty much why it's here. The second on the other hand… well, you'll see._

* * *

 _ **BONUS: If you want a nurse, be patient.**_

 _Of all the people in Fraternity with medical experience, he certainly hadn't expected her to have the most._

 _Morgan tensed as the pin dug into his flesh. "I wasn't aware you treated people on a regular basis, Lady Cordelia-" he winced slightly when she started sewing, but forced himself to relax. "I'm sorry I have to burden you with my injuries, though."_

 _Cordelia's features softened, though he wasn't privy to it, by virtue of not facing her. "I am a registered nurse, Morgan," she claimed, suturing the stab wound with pinpoint precision. "It is my duty to attend to any and all wounds as I see fit. There is no need to place me on a higher pedestal for that notion alone."_

" _I wasn't exactly going to..." he trailed off, coming to a conclusion that offending her when she had a needle to his back was probably a very bad idea._

 _Evidently, she hadn't heard that last part. "But alas, credit must be given where credit is due, Lockwood - I will acknowledge that you are certainly much more adept at staying still than some of my other patients." Cordelia admitted, dipping the needle back into the salt solution._

 _After a few more stitches, she got up, and walked over to the pink-and-yellow medical kit she had left on the other bed, removing a roll of gauze._

" _This is waterproof dressing; as such, you will not require to see me again to change it for some time, nor will you be unable to bath. I will still implore you to keep as much moisture away from it as possible, to avoid any unfortunate mishaps," she looked at him directly in the eyes. "Do I make myself clear?"_

" _Crystal."_

* * *

 _ **OMAKE: The Dancing Saber VS The Viscount of Violet City!**_

 _ **LUCAS VS GLENN**_

 _ **BATTLE: START!**_

 _Lucas used_ _ **Glare to the Left!**_ _It's super effective!_

 _Glenn used_ _ **Sneer to the Right!**_ _It's not as effective…_

 _Glenn used_ _ **Patented Callaghan Scowl™!**_ _It's a critical hit! It's not as effective..._

 _Lucas used_ _ **Emo Pout!**_ _Lucas regained health!_

 _Glenn used **Angst about Brother**_ _ **!**_ _It's super effective!_

 _Lucas used **Whip Hair Back and Forth**_ _ **!**_ _It's not as effective..._

 _Glenn slips into his_ ' _ **I'm-an-angry-pretty-boy'**_ _stance! Glenn has maximized his attack!_

 _Lucas slips into his_ ' _ **I'm-angrier-and-prettier-than-you'**_ _stance! Lucas has maximized his attack!_

 _ **ENTER: LYNAE!**_

 _Lynae used_ _ **Yaoi Fangirling!**_ _It's a one-hit KO on both sides!_

 _ **Lucas Valedin and Glenn Callaghan have fainted!**_

The entire room was silent as the greenette took in the magnificent sight of her archrival and brother falling to the ground in a heap, chests touching, and faces inches away from the perfect kiss.

Then, slowly, she fistpumped the air. "I ship it!" she hollered cheerfully, resolving to take a picture as soon as she could.

Leverage over Lucas and Glenn? It was like Christmas had came early!

* * *

 _Please note that if you want Lucas/Glenn to be a reality, please contact CrimsonSkyTamer and ask her to commission art of it for you._

 _Nah, just kidding. Seriously though, this entire omake was all her fault, I take zero credit. Wwwwwww_

 _Also, her next artpiece, Fraternity as highschool students (sans faces) is now available for viewing on the Starfield's showcase thread. Anything else to say on that, Sky?_

 _(wow, go burn. -Sky)_

 _Funny how I guessed that was coming. But remember, if I burn, you burn with me, capiche? XD_

 _Anyways, explanations, explanations. How was Art able to take out Fang and Talis so easily in the flashback? Remember that Art is a trained veteran who doesn't hesitate to fight dirty, with at least five years of formal combat training under his belt. At best, Fang also has at least four years of training, but suffers a significant disadvantage in terms of pure typing and power, while Talis really couldn't withstand a Sucker Punch long enough to burn him._

 _Tl;dr, I simulated a match between them on_ _Pokémon Showdown, and Art came out victorious with 98% health. It was a curb-stomp from the moment he got the drop on them._

 _To more serious things, this may or may not be the last update before the new year, but considering the nature of next chapter's plot, I might be able to finish it just before then. No promises, but if all goes well, we might be talking again just after Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, I'll be spending mine in Macau, away from most of my family, so...Can I get a hug around then?_

 _Just kidding._

 _Anywho, that's all from me. Hope you continue to enjoy the Crusade. Cheers! (\\(OwO)/)_

 _Stay tuned to Chapter 10:_ _ **Tomorrow.**_


	11. Chapter Bonus - Christmas

_A/N:_

 _Welcome to the bonus chapter, a product of five hours worth of holding onto over a hundred dollars' worth of almond biscuits in Macau, and being unable to even sample any of them._

 _No seriously. I'm allergic, sadly. Wwwww_

* * *

 **Phantom's Crown: Crusade**

 **Bonus**

 **Christmas Special Trailer**

* * *

 **From the makers of Phantom's Crown: Crusade,**

* * *

" _Alms? Alms for the poor?"_

" _Arms?" Glenn repeats in disbelief, having misheard the older teen. "You've already got arms, haven't you?"_

" _Damnit, I can't even scrounge properly." Vasily mutters to himself, facepalming with his free hand._

 _Tia, unfazed by her partner's failure, presents her collection box. "Please consider donating to the poor and sick - they are much in need of money to keep them from going hungry in this cold winter night."_

" _Bah humbug!" Glenn spits. "You'll be taking my precious money away from me when you pry it from my cold, dead hands!" And with that, he slams the door shut._

* * *

 **And Elliot Bond: International Man of Mystery,**

* * *

" _Speaking of work, tomorrow's Christmas, and…"_

 _The young male scratches his head. "I was wondering if you could let me take half the day off so that I can-?"_

" _Morgan, I don't pay you to lollygag around and spend time for frivolous activities like-" a shudder erupts from the brown-haired man. "Christmas. Request denied!"_

 _A quirk of the eyebrow from the blond. "Mister Callaghan, you don't pay me at all. I'm only working for you because your brother bid me do so before he passed."_

" _So what makes you think tomorrow will be any different?!"_

 _Morgan sighs. "It's Christmas, sir. I need to go home. My family needs me - you've met Little Mae, haven't you? I have to cook dinner for the both of us, because surely you can't expect my adoptive daughter-"_

" _Adoptive daughter?!" Glenn's voice increases by a few levels - and octaves. He throws a fistful of coins at the poor man. "She's fifteen, you freaking moron!"_

* * *

 **Comes the magical tale of one misanthropic man, and his miserable money-**

* * *

" _AIEEEEEEEE!"_

* * *

 **...Well, 'man' is subjective, I guess.**

* * *

" _G-G-Gilan?!" Glenn cries, watching as the long-dead figure of his twin brother materializes into view._

" _Hello, Glenn." he intones. "I see you've gotten a haircut. Good for you - there don't seem to be any barbers in the world of the damned."_

" _H-How are you...here?! And why do you have so many shackles and manacles on you?!" the Viscount screams, almost ready to wet himself._

" _This?" Gilan rattles a few of his chains. "Well, they're all the rage downstairs, so I figured I'd dress up fashionably for the occasion. As for how I'm back...Well."_

 _He leans in to leer at the surviving twin. "I think you should know the answer to that."_

 _Glenn thinks about it, before coming to a conclusion. "Did you find out about how I used your toothbrush to clean the toilet that one time?"_

" _No, I'm here because- you what?!"_

* * *

 **Journey through time and space and watch as he tries (unsuccessfully) to learn what the spirit of Christmas means.**

* * *

 _A ringing of bells was what awoke Glenn from his sleep. Opening the curtains of his four-poster bed, he gasped in fright at the new arrival in his room._

" _Well, it's about time."_

 _Facing him was a young, pretty girl, who was dressed in green and white. "You know, I haven't got all night to do this."_

 _Backing away from her, he screams, "Who the hell are you?!"_

" _Name's Lynae, the Ghost of Christmas Past, and I'm here to take you to_ _ **your**_ _past. Behold!"_

 _As the world spins around him, Glenn fights the urge to throw up. He is unceremoniously dropped to the outside of a small bar._

 _Lifting himself up, he looks in the frosted-glass windows to see a young, strong, green-haired man, who is making merry with the rest of the bar's patrons, including a younger Glenn._

 _His face widens in recognition at the former. "Lucas?!"_

* * *

 **He will learn truths about himself he would never have admitted otherwise.**

* * *

 _Regal and imposing, the next ghost stands before him in full armour, pointing a knightly sword at him._

" _I am Taryn, the Ghost of Christmas Present. You have been a very naughty boy, haven't you, Glenn Callaghan?" she states with authority._

" _..."_

 _The silence prevails for a few moments, before the female breaks it. "What?"_

" _Could you repeat that?" Is the request from the brunet, and she obliges, "I am Taryn, the-"_

" _No no, not that. Your last sentence."_

" _...You have been a very naughty boy, haven't you-"_

 _His face lights up in a grin. "Oh yes, I certainly have!"_

 _A smack from her shield shuts him up, as he falls over, unconscious. "Great." Taryn complains to herself. "Why do I always get the weird ones?"_

* * *

 **In association with SkyFox Studios, Sylveon Diancie Productions presents...**

* * *

" _The penance you pay…"_

 _Glenn finds himself being dragged through a forlorn graveyard, the last resting place of '_ _ **Mae Nosurname**_ ' _having been left behind long since._

" _For the way you behave…"_

 _He is hoisted over a freshly-dug grave by his magical bindings, before being held upside-down over it. A figure in a beautiful, if bloodstained once-yellow dress approaches, shedding her black hood to reveal light blonde hair, while simultaneously drawing a large parasol._

" _Is written as plain…"_

 _Glenn screams when he sees the words '_ _ **Glenn Callaghan**_ ' _inscribed on the tombstone._

 _Cordelia's voice crescendoes into a shrill, cold laugh. "As the name on this grave!"_

* * *

 **A Fraternity Carol**

 _ **In cinemas Winter 20XX**_

* * *

 _Glenn lets out another scream, as the girl swings the oversized candelabra at him, dodging just barely to the side. "Who the freaking hell are you?!" he yells._

 _The blonde grins maniacally, and waves the menorah around. "I'm DQ, the Ghost of Hanukkah! Now where my Ashkenazim homeboys at?"_

* * *

 _A/N_ _:_

 _DQ isn't Jewish, by the way. She's just a first-class troll. Wwwwww_

 _I hope you all enjoyed that bonus trailer as much as I enjoyed writing it! Take absolutely none of it seriously, it's all done in the spirit of Christmas, and the fact that Glenn/Lucas will eventually become canonized - in art form, haha._

 _Anyways, final update before the new year, and one last picture to finish us off. This is also a special Christmas present from a very good friend of mine to another very good friend of mine. Give it up for_ _ **CrimsonSkyTamer**_ _and her rendition of the three central characters to Johto's royalty - that's right, it's the Crown Prince and his two Hands: Gabriel, Maeve and Morgan. As usual, the picture is available on the Starfield, in the appropriate link._

 _(Merry Christmas,_ _ **WereDragon EX**_ _. Thanks for taking care of SD. Wwwwww - Sky)_

 _In any case, the real chapter will be coming along in early-to-mid-January. I'll try and push it out as soon as I can. As for_ _ **A Fraternity Carol**_ _...Well, let's leave that for Christmas next year. Maybe. If it gets popular enough._

 _Merry Christmas to all, and to all I wish a Happy New Year's! Cheers! (\\(OwO)/)_


	12. Chapter Ten - Tomorrow

_A/N:_

 _For today's news, we interrupt the Casteliacone-sharing, Glenn-bashing session to bring you footage, hijacked from the one and only S.S. Chance._

 _This episode is brought to you by Sylveon Diancie Productions, in association with SkyFox Studios. We did talk around about how we wanted this chapter to go down, and while I did kind of want to push forward with the plot, ultimately, she convinced me to have a pseudo-recap chapter in order to give a brief reminder of the events that have already occurred to summarize the arc._

 _You'll see what I mean as the chapter progresses, I guess. It's pretty much why this chapter took so long to re-write._

 _ **P.S. Anyone noticed the new cover? It was a gift from DJTiki, so to thank him back, go check out his work as well! XD**_

 _Needed to make that bold otherwise you wouldn't have noticed. XD Without further ado, allons-y!_

* * *

 **Phantom's Crown: Crusade**

 **Chapter 10**

 **Tomorrow**

* * *

By no means did Hyde Carbuncle consider himself an empathetic guy.

Time and tragedy had forced the seventeen-year old to grow up much faster than he would have liked. He could already add thievery and assault to the list of crimes he'd no doubt answer for when the time came, but at least he hadn't had to kill anyone in cold blood...yet.

"It's all my fault...I should have volunteered to go with her."

That being said, he really couldn't feel anything else but empathy for Gilan, as he watched the brown-haired boy shake his head in sorrow and frustration.

They were currently in the makeshift hospital wing of the _S.S. Chance_ , with Hyde dropping in when he overheard that his star pupil, Tia Harmon, didn't make it back from her infiltration mission. He would have gone on said mission himself, but he had only just returned from his undercover operation infiltrating the _Bakuhatsu_ \- one of the third-party factions not affiliated with Phantom or the Crown.

His cover hadn't been blown; he'd just chosen to leave once he found out what they were planning for the day after. _More on that at the meeting,_ he grimly thought to himself.

"Look, kid." Hyde felt weird calling him that since he was only one year older, but dismissed the thought. "We all make mistakes, right? Shit happens all the time, and we can't really prevent accidents from happening. Get over it."

"B-But…" He sniffed, holding the ice pack to the side of his head. "I could have stopped her. I could have prevented her from going after the enemy headquarters."

"Kid, you had as much chance of stopping her as I have with Jenell."

Gilan blinked. "Doesn't she have a boyfriend?"

A deadpan stare was the response. "That was the point."

"Oh."

Facepalming, the older male shifted up the sleeve on his right arm. Attached to his wrist was a golden watch - one of the few luxuries he always kept on his person.

 _4.50. I better get going._

"Well, it's been nice trying to cheer you up and all that, but I have a meeting to get to, so...later." Without waiting for a proper goodbye, Hyde got to his feet, and left.

Taking a right, he entered the main banquet hall. Crossing it, he approached the left flight of stairs, and took the first door closest to the top of it.

As Hyde walked into the room, he took note that he was the first to arrive. The only other person in there was Yoki, who was nursing his apparently-injured Xatu on the large, circular table connected in part to his desk, that he had set up for the others.

"Rough afternoon?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer to that.

"Believe me, I've never had a plan backfire on me so badly since Tachyon." Yoki responded sullenly, clearly in a bad mood. "It's one thing to be taken out during battle, but Sentry was ambushed before it even began, and she still hasn't been able to wake up since this afternoon.."

"Hm. Must have been a professional." Hyde remarked, before taking his usual seat by the window. One touch confirmed what he had suspected - Rebel was currently outside and frosting the ship's apertures to prevent people from watching in.

"Want Felicity to take a look at her?" he asked his leader, who nodded. "If you think she can help Sentry in any possible way, be my guest."

Withdrawing a normal Pokéball, he tossed it into the air. "Come on out, Fels."

From the red light emerged a purple, cat-like Pokémon, who landed gracefully with her forelegs on the tabletop. Vibrant, violet eyes flicked open, before scanning the room and its inhabitants.

" _Current location: interior of the S.S. Chance, Yoki Kohzo's main office. Current status: healthy, if a little hungry."_ She raised a dainty paw in salute. " _Currently awaiting orders: Sir Hyde, if you please."_

Hyde smiled. "I need you to take a look at Sentry for the two of us - give her a checkup to find out what's wrong," he told her.

" _Current orders accepted. Beginning diagnosis, please hold."_

With a slight skip in her step, the Espeon bounded over to the prone form of the Xatu, their masters backing away slightly to give her room. The red gem in the middle of her forehead glowed as she began to probe Sentry's mind to determine the cause of her unconsciousness.

" _Current diagnosis: sudden and powerful mental trauma, caused by a Pokémon's special attack. Designation: Ghost-type, likely Night Shade or Shadow Ball. Final diagnosis achieved: low levels of Psychic energy, not nearly enough to maintain a level of consciousness."_ She closed her eyes. " _Beginning curative, please hold."_

From the red gem, a small burst of Psychic power flew out and bathed the bird in a blue light. Confirming that the link held up, Felicity began to channel energy into the Mystic Pokémon, replenishing whatever power was lost in the supposedly-failed ambush.

 _Urgh..._

Sentry's eyes flicked open, before her entire body shot up. " _Where am-"_ her eyes focused on the two-tailed cat. " _...I."_

" _Current location: interior of the S.S. Chance, Yoki Kohzo's main office,"_ was the reply.

" _I can see that,"_ was the deadpan response. " _I can also tell that it was you who revived me, so you have my thanks."_

 _Sentry!_

A wave of positive emotion swept over her, just as she felt two tender hands lift her up and hold her close to their owner's face.

 _Yoki,_ she signalled back telepathically, wrapping a wing around his head and basking in his warmth with a happy sigh. It wasn't often that Yoki had the time to do this anymore, so she milked the opportunity for what it was worth.

 _You're safe...Thank Arceus you're alright,_ he messaged back through their shared link, all the while continuing to comfort her.

Watching his leader go full-on mother hen was very amusing, but heartwarming nonetheless, Hyde had to admit. "High five," he chuckled, offering an open palm to his Pokémon, who tapped it lightly. " _Current status: pleased as well, if still a little hungry. Currently awaiting orders: Sir Hyde, if you please."_

"I'll get you something extra-special for dinner later. For now, return." And with a careless toss of his Pokéball, Felicity disappeared in a flash of red light.

Just as he was done hooking her ball to his belt, the door opened again for someone else to step in. Bright blue met hazel as the two men exchanged glances.

"Carbuncle." "Asshole." they greeted each other, before the seventeen-year old man known as Brandon Hazard took his seat closest to the door, and as far away from the Lucky Larcenist, as was Hyde's epithet, as he could.

The enmity between the sub-commanders was known to many - a Seviper and Zangoose pair got along better than the two men. Hyde was roguish, carefree, and enjoyed nothing better than taking potshots at the other teen, who was uptight and overly-serious - at least in his eyes.

It even showed in their choice of attire - he had merely changed into a grey shirt and black shorts that he had last worn before his recently-ended mission in the heart of Goldeneye City, on the basis that it still 'smelled fresh'. Conversely, Brandon was in a crisp navy blue button-down and knee-length chinos - probably freshly ironed just to prove a point. His tortoiseshell glasses and black hair only made the glaring contest they were subtly participating in more one-sided - in Hyde's favour of course, those things just made him look like a nerd.

 _It's still so hard to believe that we're the same Arceus-damned age._

Hyde checked his watch again. _4.55._

"You know, Yoki," he said, looking up. "I think you're smothering Sentry."

Judging by how he heard Yoki give an annoyed grunt, the thief was certainly not getting in his good graces anytime soon.

Speaking of good graces, Jenell opened the door ever-so-slightly, before slipping in, her lithe figure able to squeeze through the small gap. "Evening, gentlemen," she greeted.

"Evening." Brandon intoned.

"Yo." Hyde waved. He liked Jenell - not in the romantic way, of course, Taylen would probably kill him if he did - but he enjoyed her friendship for what it was worth. She looked just as radiant as the first day he had met her - she was even in the same clothes: a black, loose, off-shoulder top, with a gold belt hitched under her bustline, over a red lace skirt and thigh-high boots. Her dark-brown hair flowed in its usual style to her shoulders and just over her hazel eyes.

Taking the seat in between Yoki and him, she glanced briefly at their leader, who was still hugging his Xatu. "I'm guessing she's awake?" she asked rhetorically.

"Yep," he leaned forward on his elbows, watching as Yoki finally let go, before returning his bird to her Pokéball.

"I'll be getting her to Nicole for general treatment. I'll be back in two minutes."

Moments after he left, the door opened again. But it wasn't Yoki - rather, it was who he (and by extension Jenell, the asshole and Hyde himself) had been waiting for: the other three sub-commanders of Phantom's Johto branch.

As Crimson held open the door, Vasily entered, propping up a very haggard-looking Scott. Both he and Crimson had a grim look on their face, and both were healing from injuries, Hyde noted - probably sustained from the 'ambush' earlier today. Setting down Scott by his seat, Vasily took the empty one between the man and Hyde. "Back so soon, Carby?"

Bristling slightly at the choice of nicknames (at least he had managed to negotiate it down from ' _Uncle Carby'_ ), Hyde nevertheless replied. "We have a few things to discuss as soon as Yoki gets back, provided there's nothing else urgent-"

 _Speak of the devil,_ he thought, as Yoki barged into the door hurriedly.

"Brandon, grab the speaker from underneath your seat, and Jenell, get my transmitter!" he yelled, simultaneously ending a call from his Pokégear. As the pair retrieved the two pieces of hardware, Yoki quickly selected a cord from the mass of snaking cables and plugged it into the transmitter, before doing the same with the speaker's tethering.

Hyde mentally checked their names off clockwise while the others started to talk details.

"Was Sandiego on the other end of your phone call just now?"

Jenell Grace, vice-commander, and Yoki's second in command. She also served as the main correspondence between the Kanto branch and theirs.

"Indeed. The prince will be receiving an update from his personal bodyguard, and if their call is accurate, we may be able to glean information towards our cause - and the whereabouts of both Tia and Mae."

Yoki Kohzo, overall commander, and the man with a half-million PokéDollar bounty on his head. Hyde took great pleasure in the fact that _his_ bounty was worth a tenth of that.

"That is...very surprising. How is Sandiego going to be transmitting the information to us?"

Brandon Hazard, the sub-commander of Section A, who he was pretty sure that he had already made his disdain clear for whatever gods were watching them.

"Ah, you weren't around for the last time this happened. They planted a bug into the prince's tape recorder - helps to broadcast anything he's recorded live as he's speaking into the thing. Good thing we found out that the prince likes using them so much, huh?"

Crimson Kaia, the sub-commander of Section B, who remained the most enigmatic of his compatriots. Hyde had a sneaking suspicion that Crimson wasn't her real name, but he didn't have much on her either way.

"I hope it stays hidden - I certainly have no wish to see Sandiego thrown into the gaol, or worse, be executed."

Scott Bishop, the sub-commander of Section C. One of the biggest members of their cadre, though he was a gentle giant at heart. Still, he wasn't called the Skybreaker for nothing.

"I'm pretty sure Yoki called this meeting for a different purpose though - and what if all the prince has to say is meaningless bullcrap? You sure you wanna go ahead with it?"

Vasily Volkov, the sub-commander of Section D. Aside from Yoki, Hyde was sure he was the most well-known in the lands outside Johto - considering he was directly responsible for the massacre of an entire city in the neighbouring region of Kanto. He had no idea how the man had ended up with Phantom of all places, but he thought discretion the better part of valour, and as such, did not ask.

Noticing that all eyes were directed on him, the Lucky Larcenist coughed. "I say we listen to what the prince has to say first - clearly, it has to be more urgent since Sandiego called only a short while ago. If it's nonsense, we can drop it midway. All in favour?"

And himself, of course, Hyde Carbuncle - the sub-commander of Section E.

The suggestion was met with a resounding chorus of ayes, and the seven immediately focused their attention on the machine in the middle of the table, which was connected to a small enhancer by its side.

A tense minute later, the widget began to beep, indicating that it was now being used, and the speaker began to broadcast a very familiar voice.

"Authorization: Gabriel Kingsley, Crown Prince. The following is a recording of a meeting of the utmost secrecy-"

"Utmost secrecy my foot." Hyde snidely commented, which earned him a look of disdain from all present, except Vasily, who subtly gave him a thumbs up.

"Let us begin council. Morgan, what news have you to report?"

"Allow me to start with yesterday, sir. We've determined the reason for the collapse of Sprout Tower - according to the eyewitness reports gathered from guards and the footage I could salvage from the single on-site camera, a black-haired man was spotted fixing something to the tower supports. While I can't say this with absolute certainty, I managed to find trace amounts of what seems to be undetonated plastic explosive amongst the rubble, so that's what he must have been attaching."

At this, Hyde turned to Vasily with an incredulous look. "You had me send back ten pounds of C4 for _that_?"

Meanwhile, a female voice cut in - likely the maid, Maeve. "Was anyone caught in the blast radius of the explosion?"

"Luckily, no. We are to believe that there was no one in the direct vicinity of Sprout Tower due to it being uninhabited for over a decade, and the explosion was concentrated around the base of the tower itself, so none of the commonsfolk were remotely injured." A brief pause, accompanied by a groan. "Unfortunately, I can't say the same for our guard. Two of our men were pushed to their deaths from their mounts from the same black-haired man in their attempt to prevent the man's escape, and he ended up fleeing the scene anyways."

A long, drawn-out sigh from who they assumed was the prince. "And their bodies?"

"One step ahead of you, my liege. Sir Langsley and Sir Rochefort have already been prepared for transport back to their families back in Kanto - we are merely waiting for you now, as per your instructions."

The crinkling of paper. "I had hoped to never see the need to write these letters…It appears I have hoped for too much."

"Letters?" Scott murmured. Who could he be addressing those letters to? His father, the king? One of the Crown's other commanders?

Certainly not the families of the deceased...right?"

"I have made some other inquiries and observations," the Lockwood continued. "Shall I wait until you're done?"

"That's alright, you may go on. I can multitask."

"According to our sources, we've managed to place a name to the black-haired man - the infamous Butcher of Blank City, Vasily Volkov."

To this, the gathered table reacted with surprise. Yoki in particular had confirmed his suspicions - all the more reason to send Vasily away to Kanto, and let the heat around him cool off for a bit.

Vasily, on the other hand, grimaced. As much as it was a part of him, he still hated being known for _that_. He decided that if he ever met this Morgan fella, he'd sock him in the face.

Hard.

"-so we will have to find who their mysterious Staraptor sponsor is. Otherwise, there's nothing much else of interest, so onwards." A pause, before Morgan's voice continued, "We come to the end result of today's supposed ambush on a Phantom training squad."

Brandon motioned for everyone to keep quiet, and they obliged, their chatter giving away to a brief quietness that was broken when the Right Hand continued.

"Clearly, we did underestimate the strength of their forces to a slight degree. It had been agreed between Miss Riordan- Taryn," he corrected. "Taryn and I, that she was to lead Fraternity to the predetermined location in order to capture or otherwise engage them, while I would keep an eye out for them with Lunete from the skies, while simultaneously acting as a guard for home base. As expected, our troops were able to set off an EMP and prevent the rebels from fleeing the clearing by flight, subsequently battling them."

"No mention of Sentry anywhere…" Yoki murmured to himself, curious. _If the boy's Pokémon wasn't responsible...then who was?_

"Now, this is where things went slightly awry." The voice paused, before continuing in its recapitulation. "While our soldiers were able to corner and pressure their forces into a corner, inexplicably, they vanished."

"Ashley." Scott stated with pride, happy that his trainee was able to do her job so well.

"Vanished?" Gabriel repeated. "What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I mean, my prince. I was still watching them one moment, and then they were gone the next. It was almost as if they had teleported away - and while they did have a Kirlia within their ranks, it had already been taken down long before the supposed disappearance. In short, I have no idea how they managed to evade us and escape in the blink of an eye, and I fear we may never know until we actually capture them."

The maid piped up. "I recall that you use Lunete as your eyes-in-the-sky, and as such, you certainly have managed to video this for the prince's perusal, right?"

A nervous laugh came from Morgan. "Although that is true, and I did at one point have footage I wanted to transmit back to you for inspection, regrettably, that is no longer possible, due to the second of two unexpected developments."

A pause, before he continued, "During our assault, I did not notice that two of their number had disappeared during the opening salvo, as Lunete was somewhat out of range to prevent her Scope Lens from being affected by the EMP. As such, I was completely unaware that they had left the National Park. However, instead of fleeing…"

"They managed to find Fraternity's base of operations in Ecruteak City, didn't they?" the prince inferred, surprising both of his assistants and the gathered assembly listening to them all. "It would explain why your arm was injured even though you said you stayed behind to oversee them."

"That is correct." A light chuckle. "Not to blow my own horn or anything, but in a twist of fortunate circumstance and with some quick-thinking, I was able to subdue the two Phantom girls, and the rest of the team arrived to apprehend them soon afterwards."

 _Tia and Mae_ , Jenell thought with an audible, "Tch." She had grown mildly fond of the redhead in their short time spent training together, and Tia was one of Hyde's best students. While her duty came first, she hoped that Yoki in all his infinite wisdom would be able to come to the conclusion that both girls needed to be saved as soon as possible.

"I must give them some credit, however - they managed to sabotage my recorder, so unfortunately, I have lost all the footage from the battle itself. I've taken statements from everyone who was present at the scene, but they all claim the same thing - that the enemy had mysteriously vanished without a trace. No further comment."

That brought a smile to her face again. _Good job._

"Anyways, as the letter that Taryn has sent will make clear, we are initiating their transfer to Goldeneye City tomorrow - partially because we don't have an official warrant to interrogate them, and partially because I think one of our captives will likely be better as far away from Glenn Callaghan as possible."

Crimson couldn't help but giggle. As serious as the situation was, she remembered the day she had asked Tia about her former employer - and the string of curses that followed shortly after. Considering she had seen him on the battlefield with the others (the resemblance to Gilan was a giveaway), she didn't need much help imagining the black-haired girl appealing to this Right Hand man to transfer her out.

"That is understood and approved, though I am interested as to what the Viscount has to do with anything," an amused chuckle from Gabriel. "But I suppose I can wait until you return for your reply. Is there anything else?"

"I have but one request. I haven't had enough time to spend with her, so if it's not too much to ask, sir, I'd like to request for my sister to pick us up tomorrow morning."

Seeing as how the conversation was beginning to end, the seven tuned it out and turned to focus their attentions on more pressing matters.

Specifically discussing their new plan of action.

"We have to rescue them." Scott started off. "We leave no one behind, and those two certainly can't be the exceptions. I don't think we can take the girls from them through a fight, however," he admitted sheepishly, still somewhat salty over his loss to the blonde commander and her sword-and-shield combination.

Clearly, he had severely underestimated the much-shorter woman. It was a mistake he would only make once.

"Well, then we have two options, and none of them easy." Vasily pondered. "I guess we could task Sandiego with releasing them privately - but I don't know how well that would go, since I don't know how much influence they have in the palace."

"Ahem."

"Don't be silly." Jenell chided. "Even if they did have the power to release the girls, why would they pull rank so suddenly and for, in the Crown's eyes, such a rebellious reason?"

"Ahem."

"Then we gotta sneak in there and break them out!" Vasily snapped his fingers. "But how? The palace is full of them guards, and I can't secure any uniforms in a short period of-"

"AHEM!"

Everyone practically jumped in their seats as Hyde cleared his throat very loudly. "You fool, do you want the dinner guests to be alerted to our presence?" Brandon rebuked imperiously, casting suspicious looks at the walls.

"No, but I'd like to actually get my info across, y'know?" he rebutted. Conceding this point to him, Brandon turned away in a huff, though kept an ear open to hear what he had to say.

Hyde waited until everyone's focus was finally on him, before continuing.

"Yesterday, as I was attending a _Bakuhatsu_ meeting, their leader suggested that he wanted each and every one of us to prepare for an all-or-nothing charge on the following day - a.k.a tomorrow. Naturally, I refused, and had to flee before they tried to catch up."

"Hang on." Scott raised a hand. "What kind of charge are we talking about here?"

"Essentially, they're planning to storm the castle and assassinate the prince by sheer brute force and numbers," he muttered, his expression a mixture of annoyance and fear. "And if I hadn't left this morning, I would have been part of them, with no way to save myself."

"Save yourself?" Brandon piped up, ever the skeptic. "From who or what?"

"Their Arceus-damned charge, of course!" Hyde yelled back. "They're trying to take on some of the most well-trained soldiers in this side of Johto with nothing but knives and a bunch of bombs - do you _think_ they're going to win?"

A burst of chatter followed, before Hyde held up his hands again to indicate that he wasn't finished. "Anyways, the point here is that when the prince's forces are defending his castle, we should take advantage of their more spread-thin forces to quickly get in and release the two girls, before fleeing back to HQ. Sound good?"

Yoki was smiling, which was always a good sign. "Then I suppose you'll volunteer to do it?" He sipped his coffee.

Normally, most people would be annoyed at getting the arrow of work pointed at them, but Hyde was an exception, Yoki knew. The teen enjoyed the thrill of breaking into and out of places, and the prince's castle was not an exception.

Sure enough, there was a gleam in the Carbuncle's eyes. "Hell yeah. Heck, I can probably turn this into a learning opportunity for Tia when I bust her and Mae out."

 _But just in case._ "Not 'I', but 'we'. Brandon, you're going to be accompanying him."

Immediately, the black-haired man slammed his hands on the table. "Yoki, I refuse!"

"You fool, do you want the dinner guests to be alerted to our presence?" Hyde repeated snarkily, before turning to his leader. "Still, why him? You know he and I don't get along."

"In the event that you end up getting caught in the crossfire, I'm willing to trust the safety of those girls to you and Brandon." Yoki motioned to them both. "Even if the two of you fight and bicker over everything like an old married couple-"

"OI!" "HEY!"

"You are, respectively, our best combatant and best infiltrator." He concluded, to the laughter of the other four people in the room. "And as such, I'll classify this as an official mission. Brandon Hazard, Hyde Carbuncle, your mission, if you choose to accept it-"

He glared at them, and they immediately quieted themselves down. As much as they rued each other, Yoki had one of the scariest faces when he was serious.

"...Your mission is to make use of the chaos caused by the attack on the prince's castle to break into it and rescue Tia Harmon and Mae...Mae. Try not to get involved, and minimize casualties - although considering that there are only going to be four of you, that's a given. Do I make myself clear?"

The two had a silent staring contest, before they nodded in unison. "Yes sir."

"Good. Everyone else is dismissed. Jenell, please come with me - think we need to contact Taylen sooner than I would have liked to." Yoki stood up, and left, Jenell in tow.

One by one, the others also vacated their leader's room, until, you guessed it, only Brandon and Hyde were left. The latter held out a hand. "Look, asshole, as much as I want to punch in your face, let's agree to a temporary truce. Tia's safety takes precedence."

Hesitantly, Brandon shook it. "Fine. But only because it's Tia," he murmured.

Hyde hid a smirk as he left the room. It was underhanded, sure, but he knew that his archrival had a soft spot for his protégé, and if that was all it took to convince him to see his way, so mote it be.

 _Tomorrow,_ he thought, _we're going to break into the Prince's palace._

The thought exhilarated him.

* * *

"-so if it's not too much to ask, sir, I'd like to request for my sister to pick us up tomorrow morning." He rubbed his head sheepishly. "It would probably be much easier to transport the two detainees if we had a bigger mode of flight."

"That's alright, Morgan, I can have it done right now." He scribbled something down off-screen, before turning to his maid, who bowed slightly. "Maeve, please pass this note to miss Lockwood. She should be in the training centre since it's not too late in the evening yet."

"As you wish, my prince."

After she left, Gabriel clicked off his tape recorder and was preparing to end the call when-

"Apologies, Gabriel, something else occurred to me."

"Hm?" he paused, before reaching for his tape recorder again.

"Actually, I think it would be best if we keep this off-the-record." Morgan cautioned. "It's something I'm only comfortable with saying verbally."

The prince quirked an eyebrow, but motioned for him to go on.

"While I lost all the footage with regards to the battle, there was definitely one thing I saw before it - a lone Xatu, overseeing the clearing. It was too coincidental for it to have been a wild Pokémon, especially since Natu are not native to the surrounding area…" Morgan trailed off, unsure of how to proceed.

Fortunately, his prince was able to clarify. "You're thinking that Phantom was prepared for a supposedly-unknown ambush?" he asked.

He nodded in return. "That's exactly it."

At this revelation, Gabriel paused to think. "I suppose you wanted to keep this off-the-record considering that, in the event Phantom were to obtain my tapes," he monologued, before turning his attention back to his bodyguard. "I do believe I know what you are insinuating, however, I do not know how much you will be able to achieve, substantiated with only what you have now."

"Nothing much." Morgan admitted. He would need concrete proof to determine if there really was a spy for the rebellion within Gabriel's employ, and in the absence of such, he was forced to put his plan on hold. "I don't know how they managed to intercept or otherwise gain knowledge of my warrant, but maybe it had something to do with the anomaly we saw in the National Park. In any case, I'll beef up security measures around the castle, keep a lookout for any suspicious behaviour."

"That you will." The prince nodded. "Anything else?"

"Hmm…" Morgan's eyes lit up. "One last thing, though I promise it's nothing serious - just...a thought. Yeah, let's go with that."

Gabriel shrugged. "Go ahead. What's on your mind?"

"Well, considering I know you screen every soldier that comes into your employ...What can you tell me about Cordelia Noble?" was the question.

After a brief pause, the prince raised an eyebrow. "Might I ask why you're interested in her, Morgan?" he queried.

"Well, you see, something's been bugging me ever since I met her, and I'm not sure why. She doesn't seem suited to be in Fraternity-" he caught himself. "I-I mean, don't get me wrong, she's an excellent duelist and a very capable girl, but her aura of regality...It's unlike any of the soldiers I've ever met before."

"...Morgan, did you go the entire afternoon thinking that she was _just_ an ordinary run-of-the-mill soldier?" Gabriel questioned, the ghost of a smile on his lips.

Receiving a nod, the prince chuckled briefly. "Well, then it will be my pleasure to inform you that Miss Cordelia Noble, as you have known her, is actually Princess Cordelia Noble, and next in line to the throne of Hoenn."

In the moment that followed, Morgan was thankful he had chosen the rooftop of the ex-Ecruteak gym to have his meetings. The building was soundproof, both inside and out, and thus, his exclamation went unheard of by the people inside of it.

Of course, perhaps not everyone in Ecruteak City appreciated the sudden loud scream of, "SHE'S THE WHAT?"

* * *

 **Phantom**

 _ **The Lucky Larcenist:**_ Hyde Carbuncle and Felicity (Espeon) - _ManCinoMan_

 _ **The Silent Singer:**_ Gilan Callaghan and Screech (Pawniard) _\- emosewa13_

 _ **The Revolutionary:**_ Yoki Kohzo, Rebel (Castform) and Sentry (Xatu) - _Condor-K_

 _ **?:**_ Brandon Hazard and ? - _Universal Lord Genghis Khan_

 _ **The Flame Dancer:**_ Jenell Grace and Pyro (Arcanine) - _Heart of the Anime_

 _ **The Faint Smile:**_ Crimson Kaia and Logan (Weavile) - _PokéFreak45_

 _ **The Skybreaker:**_ Scott Bishop and Jax (Feraligatr) - _RedArrowCrasher_

 _ **The Butcher of Blank City:**_ Vasily Volkov and Exile (Metang) - _Seth98_

 **Crown**

 _ **The Right Hand:**_ Morgan Lockwood, Lunete (Swoobat) and Art (Mawile) - _SDproductions_

 _ **The Left Hand:**_ Maeve Harker and Joule (Plusle) - _WereDragon EX_

 _ **The Crown Prince:**_ Gabriel Kingsley and Ohm (Minun) - _WereDragon EX_

 _ **The Princess of Hoenn**_ _:_ Cordelia Noble and Tabitha (Audino) - _SDproductions_

* * *

 _A/N_ _:_

 _Did you see that bombshell coming? Morgan certainly didn't, haha._

 _Now, wait till the rest of Fraternity finds out..._

 _This marks the end of Arc One:_ _**Introductions**_ _. The main players in both sides of the Johto domain have thus far been revealed, and going into the next arc, we'll get to see more of those we didn't get a chance to learn about in further detail. Of course, we'll have some new faces mixed in with the rest, and who knows? Maybe we'll have our first on-screen death or two. Wwwwwww_

 _In all seriousness, I'm happy to have actually hit the first milestone of many - I hope to be able to keep providing you all with awesome content through the next...few years. Trust me, this story isn't going to be ending anytime soon, not if I can help it._

 _Anywho, that's all from me. Hope you continue to enjoy the Crusade. Happy (belated) New Year 2016, everyone! (\\(OwO)/)_

 _Stay tuned to Arc Two:_ _**Trouble in Goldeneye,** and Chapter Eleven: **Watch**. __Coming soon._

* * *

 ** _Dedicated to Sir Alan Rickman._**

 ** _21 February, 1946 - 14 January, 2016._**

 ** _After all this time, you will still live on in our hearts._**

 ** _Always._**


	13. Chapter Eleven - Watch & Hiatus

_A/N:_

 _OKAY THIS TOOK WAY TOO LONG I'M SO SORRY-_

 _Ahem. Maybe I shouldn't have been too optimistic about the start of my fifth year. I got too involved on so many other projects…I need to address this at the end of the chapter, but for now._

 _This will just be a closure to the first arc instead...Allons-y._

* * *

 **Phantom's Crown: Crusade**

 **Chapter 11**

 **Watch**

* * *

The two Staraptors landed silently on the outskirts of the city, in a secluded group of trees that provided just enough cover.

"Return."

The command was uttered with little fanfare, but it didn't require any — this was hostile territory, and Hyde had no intention of drawing any attention to themselves.

Even if the subsequent flashes of red light were admittedly pretty hard to ignore.

Hoping that no one was looking in their general direction, he quickly released Felicity from her ball. " _Current location: determined to be just outside of Goldenrod City, redubbed Goldeneye City. Current status: healthy and full, if a little sleepy,"_ she landed on the ground, before turning around and saluting her master. " _Currently awaiting orders: Sir Hyde, if you please."_

"Can you create a little distraction for us…" he rolled up his sleeve, checking his watch. "Five minutes from now?"

" _Current orders: accepted. Beginning Future Sight, please hold."_ Felicity closed her eyes.

The Espeon felt her consciousness leave her body in an astral projection, drifting upwards towards the dark sky. Knowing she didn't have much time to waste, she quickly zeroed in on their location from above.

 _Timer designate: five minutes. Preparations: complete._

From her red gem emerged a small cluster of psychic spheres, which were primed to explode on impact. Setting them on a course downwards, she pushed them lightly, allowing them to go slow enough to meet the required time.

" _Final diagnosis: Future Sight has been set to go off in five minutes. All is done."_ Although he couldn't possibly understand her, she nodded to show him that she had succeeded.

"Good job, Fels," he praised, scratching her behind the ears, before turning to his partner while keeping a sharp eye on his watch. "Brandon, have you—"

He didn't have to finish the sentence, nor did the man have to answer—the large hole in the ground was enough.

The pair quickly caught up to Brandon and his Pokémon, still in the process of digging through the underground. "Took you long enough. I was afraid that I'd have to send Apollo back to get you," he commented.

" _Dude, I like you and all, but I ain't doin' your dirty work for you."_ Said Garchomp growled as he carefully extricated another inch of soil.

" _Designation: Apollo is butthurt. Final diagnosis: u mad bro?"_ Felicity giggled, using her Psychic powers to aid in keeping the ceiling from burying them alive, which was honestly the only reason he hadn't dumped the next load of soil on her.

"How much longer?"

"One minute twenty, nineteen— how long more to the safe zone?" Hyde replied.

 _Thonk!_

As if on cue, one of Apollo's handspikes hit solid metal. " _Found it,"_ he grunted. " _And now we wait."_

The seconds ticked away, until a muffled ' _btooooom!'_ sounded out from the entrance of their tunnel. It immediately disappeared as the Future Sight's force caused the earth to sink into itself, filling up the hole and hiding it from view.

"Jackpot. Fels, you can fill up the rest of the dirt now."

As his Espeon went to work covering their tracks, he and Brandon cleared up a wide enough space for them both, before pushing on the metal.

Slowly but surely, the refrigerator gave way, and the two men slid out of their tunnel towards the kitchen floor.

"You'd think they would have stopped attributing these holes to bad maintenance or Pokémon long ago." Hyde laughed.

"Why donate money to the poor when you can use it to fix up holes people will never see?" Brandon muttered. Pulling a modified Luxury Ball of his own creation from his belt (he had repainted the black sections purple), he called quietly, "Apollo, return."

Once the Garchomp had disappeared, and the hole filled as to look inconspicuous, Felicity hopped out. " _Current orders: completed. Awaiting new orders; sir Hyde, if you please?"_ she asked.

Pushing the refrigerator back into place, Hyde whispered. "Disguise the two of us, as long as your reserves can manage."

It was a simple order, but it was a very taxing procedure—the Psychic-type who initiated it had to continuously project the illusion of a different person onto their targets in order not to raise suspicion, which depleted natural energy like a siphon. Even for an Espeon like Felicity, she could only hold it out so long—her limit was half an hour even at full charge.

Fortunately, half an hour was all they needed.

* * *

It was a slow day at the Golden Globe.

Melanie had been working reception ever since that morning, though her shift was about to end sooner or later. She had a grand total of four visitors to her desk so far, with only one of them being a group of proper customers—the other three were complaints, which she not-so-helpfully directed to main office.

 _It's not my fault that you don't have enough pillows—seriously, why would you come all the way down here to just complain about it? Call room service._

Her ears pricked up, before cooling down again. _Some fire on the outskirts?_ She thought, filing her nails. _It was probably an accident, no one would dare attack the prince—_

"Excuse us."

She looked up. A pair of young men in their twenties were standing before her. "Good evening, gentlemen, and welcome to the Golden Globe!" she greeted, perhaps a little too enthusiastically, but it had been quite some time since she had gotten the opportunity.

"We'd like a room, any room is fine." The redhead of the two smiled at her, handing over a card. "Though preferably on the higher floors."

Scanning the card, she waited for the system to register and accept his credentials. Small talk seemed to be polite enough, so she began, "Mister...Noitcerid Eno, might I ask why you've chosen to come to our hotel today?"

The blond of the two (the one who wasn't Mr. Eno) visibly fought back a laugh, whilst the man himself smiled and continued, "I like to think of myself as a hotel connoisseur, you see—I stay in hotels around the region. I just so happened to pick today to visit the Golden Globe."

"Ah, I see. Well, it's very nice of you to visit us, thank you!" Seeing as how it was only polite to do so, she asked, "So who's your friend, then?"

Turning to his companion, the redhead shot him a wolfish grin as he draped an arm around his shoulders. "This is my husband, Peter Eno. Before we tied the knot, though, he was known as Peter Peter, so make of that what you will."

Peter looked morbidly embarrassed, and covered his face with his hands. "Is it ready yet?" he asked muffledly.

"Yeah, it should be in three, two, one—" The system beeped, and Melanie happily handed over the room cards to the lovely couple. "Enjoy your stay!" she cheered.

If only she had known just who she had just buzzed in.

Fast forward five minutes, and in the hallway room 11037 of the Golden Globe, two men were changing. They hadn't brought any spare clothes, but the disguise was wearing off.

Brandon was still scowling as his hair changed back to black. "Noitcerid Eno? Who the _hell_ did you pickpocket for that name?"

"Some janitor in Kingsport. Probably for the better." Hyde grumbled, stepping into the sleeping quarters. "I'd like to see you do any different, O wise Draconian Danger."

"Mention that nickname outside of dealing with the Crown again, and I'll let your middle name slip to the rest, Hyde _Alexis_ Carbuncle."

The response was not a snarky quip as was expected, but a surprised yelp. Brandon was at his side in a moment. "Where's the enemy—"

Only to halt in his speech once he realized what Hyde had realized: the receptionist had booked them a double bed.

Not a pair of single beds. A full queen-size double bed meant for two.

Simultaneously, the pair let out groans. It was awkward enough that they hadn't had the space to bring a spare change of clothes and were thus relegated to sleeping in full combat gear, but now they were sleeping next to each other—in full combat gear.

"Ah, bugger it." Hyde waved his hand absentmindedly. "It's just one night, I can handle having to deal with the implications later. S'not like anyone's watching, anyways."

Brandon groaned. Unfortunately, Hyde made sense, and he wasn't going to stoop to sleeping on the floor, so that left the obvious.

Pushing that thought out of his mind, he got to work. Luckily for them, the room served its purpose as a good vantage point well, a fact Brandon took into account as he began to sketch the layout of the castle, aided by the pocket binoculars he always kept on himself. Meanwhile, Hyde decided that he might as well milk the opportunity for all it was worth. Picking up the phone, he dialled room service.

An hour later, the duo were busy munching into a plate of Goldeen-and-chips each, with a side of filet Miltank for Apollo, and Felicity taking great pleasure in cleaning the bones. Sure, it was expensive, decadent, and representative of the bourgeoisie that Phantom wanted to eradicate in the first place, but damn if it wasn't delicious.

"Okay, let's get down to business. How's the map looking?" Hyde asked, studying his teammate as he continued to sketch.

"Based on my observations, I would say it's a pretty accurate representation of the outer rooms of the castle. The prince's study is built into the north side, just above the music rooms, while the gaol is in the south side, if the guards carrying food are of any indication." Brandon replied, never breaking away from his binoculars as he effortlessly pointed their rooms out on the makeshift map. "If we want to get in, though, the least guarded area is the west side—makes sense, since that's where the staff quarters are, and I don't fancy taking on a squad of maids and butlers who will probably be just as armed."

Hyde shrugged. "Who says we're taking them on? We're just going to go in, retrieve the girls, then get out. Simple as that."

"We're breaking into one of the most highly-secure places in Johto, Carbuncle. I'd expect you to at least consider the worst possible scenario." Brandon intoned, adding another room to the east wing with the title 'Armory'.

"Tch. I just hope Tia's safe, or I'm gonna have to find myself another top student." The blond sighed, before looking up. "Which reminds me, who's this Mae chickadee anyways?"

"Short, quick-tempered redhead with a penchant for snark." Running out of lead, Brandon clicked again to release more. "Uses a Vulpix, jumped out of Sprout Tower as it collapsed, and currently your student's student. At least, that's what Scott claims is the truth, but it's Scott, so I'll believe him."

"Poor kid." Hyde looked out into the night sky. "I know Tia's used to torture and interrogation, but she probably isn't. They must be suffering at the hands of their captors right about now…"

* * *

Oh yes, Mae was suffering indeed.

"You put it down like Hearthome City, I never sleep! Wild like Lumiose, my fantasy! Hot love in Nimbasa, I feel the heat!"

Lucas waltzed into the dining room, spinning on his heels as he set down the pan-fried Basculin. "O-o-o-oh, girl, it's international love! O-o-o-oh, yeah, it's international love!"

"What are you _doing_?" questioned Glenn, even though it ultimately came out as more of a snarl.

"What, can't a cook sing while he's practicing his craft?"

If it was even possible, Glenn's frown deepened. "No, but when it's you singing, it should be made illegal."

Mae had to agree with the brunet. The green-haired man's voice was very out-of-tune, and sounded like dragging your fingernails across a chalkboard.

Slowly.

Pouting slightly, he returned to the kitchen as his sister walked out. Lynae set down the rice cooker next to Tia's spot on the table. "Would you like some?" she asked the ex-Crown girl, who stared back.

"...Yes, thank you." Tia finally said. Even if it was a bad idea to discount the possibility of poison in any way, she could tell that the rest of the group wasn't like Glenn, so she could afford to relax a little more.

As the greenette scooped rice out for the two captives, Mae took the time to reflect on the very unusual set of circumstances that ended with this. They _had_ been still handcuffed to their bench less than an hour ago, but for some reason, the Crown soldiers weren't being very evil, and decided to let Tia and her join them for dinner.

 _This is weird, where's all the cold-hearted ruthlessness?_ The redhead thought, looking around for Talis to no avail. _Can it be the only reason they're treating us nice is because our Pokémon are being abused in the room over?_

"Good evening." Cordelia greeted the table, taking a seat. "I see we have some...unexpected guests."

Taryn raised an eyebrow. "Regardless of whose side they are on, it's only fair for them to eat," she explained.

"I'm aware, miss Riordan, but the notion of why we're showing so much mercy to Phantom operatives is beyond me."

Taryn had expected such an answer—the Noble's dislike for the organization was rather justified, after all.

It was Morgan that answered her, however. "Cordelia, they are our guests," he remarked. "Even if they happen to be our detainees, they don't deserve to starve while the rest of us retire for the night with full bellies."

She made no move to counter that, and, after Lucas returned with the utensils, dinner was served. Mae dug into her food carefully, aware of how Morgan, who was seated between her and Tia, had two extra knives by his plate that were meant to be thrown if either girl tried to escape.

She didn't like her chances. Eating it was.

Slicing into the fish, Mae took a bite, and was hit with an explosion of flavour. _So the green-haired guy can't sing for his life, but he can cook pretty well,_ she conceded, before eating at a faster pace.

Tia, also conceding that if they really wanted Mae and her dead, they wouldn't think of poisoning their dinner, picked up another Basculin fillet and deposited it onto her plate. _Ah well, I'll take what I can get._

This gesture did not go unnoticed by Glenn. "Oi, Harmon, who said you could take another one? This is a dinner table, not a prison cafeteria. Manners matter, y'know?"

Predictably, his nitpicking went unnoticed, for Glenn had broken the first cardinal rule of tableside manners—you do not talk with your mouth full.

A kick to the shins from Lynae ended any further objections.

As the pile of empty dishes grew and the number of unsatisfied people lowered itself to zero, Mae had to admit that she enjoyed the meal. Before this morning's breakfast, she hadn't had the opportunity to eat anything cooked ever since moving into Sprout Tower, except for the occasional roasted berries that she could only manage with Talis' fire.

It wasn't long before her plate was cleaned.

"Ah...that hit the spot." Lynae hugged her brother. "Thanks for the food, bro, it's awesome as always."

"Indeed, it was." Tia agreed, any sign of caution lost to the immensely delicious meal. "Compliments to the chef."

Cleaning up took very little time, and soon enough, all eight of them found themselves back at the table, and the mood turned a little less cheery.

"Girls, should I hope that the dinner was enough to convince you to tell us anything?" Taryn asked, knowing the answer long before even posing the question—but it never hurt to try.

Tia bit her lip, before shaking her head. "While we appreciate the meal, neither one of us are willing to shirk our duty as Phantom operatives. Go find your answers somewhere else." To this, Mae nodded her head, the expressions on the duo's faces both showing the same staunch resolve.

"As I expected. I hoped that mercy would have been able to change your mind, but I suppose there is some truth to the statement 'hoping for too much'." The Iron Lady sighed. She was hoping to appeal to Tia's past as a Crown soldier for her to open up after that nostalgic meal, but it wasn't of any use; and the younger girl seemed to follow her senior's decisions, so she was out of the question too. "In that case, you are now officially our prisoners, and when we turn you over to the Prince, I advise you to plead your case well, for you will not be treated with care."

"I've seen what the King's men have done to their prisoners of war." Tia shot back, memories of her past rising to the surface. The loud _thwack!_ of a whip strike was as fresh in her mind as the welts they opened up on the boy- no, _Vasily's_ body. "I'm willing to take that risk."

The impromptu parley ended then and there. "So be it." Lynae got up. "In which case, follow me. I suppose we should have done this earlier, but I figured it could afford to wait after dinner."

The two Phantom girls looked at each other nervously. _What are they gonna do to us?_ Mae thought. The stories Grace and the others had told her about what Crown operatives would do to them if they were caught caused the younger girl to start shivering as images of various weapons flashed through her head.

"Morgan, can I trust you and the boys with kitchen duty tonight? I'd rather for none of the three of you to interrupt us."

"Of course you can, Miss Riordan- I mean, Taryn. I'll make sure to knock if something pops up."

On the other hand, Tia had a pretty good idea of what might be awaiting them. She had seen the Kanto guards punish a young woman in public for breaking into the local gaol to release captured citizens, and the poor lady had been forced to undergo a freezing water bath in her underclothes, before being left in the stocks to endure the cold night.

She never stood a chance—her cold, stiff hands had to be pried off the metal handholds come the morning after.

"Hey, Glenn! I challenge you to a plate-washing competition! First to ten gets dibs on cooking breakfast tomorrow!"

"I'll win just so I don't have to listen to you sing any goddamn more, Valedin! Bring it on, chucklenuts!"

It wasn't long before Lynae and the duo reached a new room. It was somewhat bare, with a few single beds (with a pillow and blanket each), and a door that led to a separate room. Entering it and closing the door behind them, Lynae gave a simple order.

"Strip."

 _Huh?!_

Mae looked at the green-haired girl in shock. _Did she say what I think she said?_ Turning to look at her mentor, she was equally if not more shocked to see Tia beginning to unbutton her jeans, and with no say in the matter, followed suit.

Reduced to their white blouses and underwear, Tia looked uncomfortably at her long legs, which were shaking in equal parts fear and cold. She caught the gaze of their erstwhile friend (as close as it was ever going to get with the Casteliacones), and Lynae cocked her eyebrow. The look was enough to communicate the words that did not need to be spoken.

 _Get inside._

Taking a deep breath, Tia opened the other door, and steeled herself for the cold shower that would likely follow, her eyes flitting across the wisps of steam that were rising from the water surface—

Wait. A steaming, _hot_ bath?

"You guys look like you've just seen a ghost." Lynae walked in, holding two towels in black and red, wearing a green towel of her own around her chest. "I suggest taking those off and putting these towels on, though chances are you aren't getting them back, so if your underclothes somehow happen to be of any sentimental value, tell us the address to Phantom's base and we'll mail it to you."

They didn't fall for the quite-frankly obvious trap, but it was worth a shot, and the looks on their faces sealed the deal.

One quick rinse later, and all three girls were sitting in the rather-large _onsen_ , enjoying the warm, rejuvenating effects of the water.

 _This doesn't make any sense._ Tia thought, as she submerged herself underneath. _And why would it? They're treating us to a bath?_

 _If this is to make us talk, I have to commend them on stepping their game up._

"H-Hey! No splashing!"

She rose back to the surface, only to receive a faceful of water. Shaking away the droplets, Tia was dumbfounded to see Mae giggling at her, and an equally-wet Lynae looking at the younger girl in mock anger.

 _When in Almia, do as the Almians do._

Realizing once and for all that she had indeed struck it lucky on the benevolence of their captors, Tia laughed. "You didn't!"

Mae's only response was to douse water at her two seniors again, prompting them to splash back.

As Taryn shed her outerwear and draped the bright-yellow towel around her chest, she glanced over. Cordelia was still staring the large mirror, draped in a silver towel, with a determined gaze etched across her face.

"You know," the older woman reminded her for what felt like the twentieth time since she started working with Fraternity, "Staring at them won't make them grow."

"Away with you, Miss Riordan. I do not care for disproving superstitions."

Any comments she could possibly have to that curt reply were made long ago, so Taryn decided to just move on. Opening the door to the bathroom, she was greeted by the sight of the two prisoners dunking her green-haired ex-student underwater.

In her defense, she really feared that they had been trying to drown Lynae. It was within her right to tackle the two girls.

Though maybe she shouldn't have done it so hard.

* * *

"I win again! In your face, Glenn!"

Said Callaghan roared unintelligibly, before flinging the plate he had on hand at Lucas. The ranger dodged the projectile easily, leaving the plate to continue in its trajectory, directly towards an unsuspecting Morgan.

He caught it without looking up, before absentmindedly tossing it into the dishwasher. "Five out of seven on the polish, guys. However, we don't need another repeat of our last food fight, you know," he admonished.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Lockwood. If you recall, _I_ won that food fight, so take that!" Glenn boasted.

The three engaged in a no-holds-barred staredown, daring each other to react to that statement, before they simultaneously burst into laughter at the sheer ridiculousness of it all.

They hadn't had the opportunity to feel like academy children in such a long time—at least, not all three of them together—and each opportunity presented was something of a relief.

"I'll go check up on the Pokémon?" Lucas offered, once the laughing had died down.

"Sure. Tell Art that if he's not busy, I'd like him to meet me in my room for a bit, thanks." Morgan departed the kitchen, presumably for the bathroom to check up on the rest of the team.

Glenn pondered his options. "Armour's all oiled-up, so that's unnecessary. The only thing I can really do at this point is…" He made a face. "Come with you."

"Hey, might as well! You never know if the Pokémon battles will get too intense!" Grabbing onto his arm, Lucas practically dragged him off.

Taking the stairs down to the underground battlefield, Glenn opened the door to, predictably, yet another spar between the Crown Pokémon. This time, it was between two of the Psychic-types; Morgan's Swoobat ducked to avoid the telltale crescent rings of Psycho Cut, which meant her opponent could only be Lucas' Gallade.

"Go, Valdus! You can do it!"

The cheer from his green-haired friend-slash-rival all but confirmed it.

" _Well, you certainly got faster!"_ Lunete somersaulted in mid-air, before flapping her wings on the rebound, causing barbs of air to form in front of her. " _But let's see how you like this! Air Cutter!"_

Sending them towards her target, she quickly ducked out of the way as a fully-charged Shadow Sneak almost crushed her in its grip. Shrugging off the failure of his ambush, Valdus spun on one foot, reversing the direction of the wind and dissipating it effortlessly. " _You don't have that advantage on me anymore, haha!"_ He crowed, before a few bolts of energy slammed down on him from above.

 _Oh right, she_ _ **loves**_ _her Future Sight, doesn't she?_

Shaking his head, the Gallade gritted his teeth. By now, she would have prepared yet another Future Sight, which meant it was only a matter of time before he would be knocked out. He had to finish this, and fast.

"I believe in you, Valdus!"

The encouragement from his lifelong trainer raised his spirits, and a confident smile found its way onto his face. Seeing the smile, Lunete decided it was time to end this, and flung a Shadow Ball towards him.

Instead of getting out of the way, like she had expected, Valdus instead braced himself. At just the right moment, the Gallade leapt, and as the Shadow Ball burst against the ground behind him, he used its power as a launching pad, sending his outstretched arm towards the Swoobat, who had absolutely no time to react.

" _Heart Sta-!" "Night Slash!"_

His energy-covered fist slammed into her nose, sending her flying out of the sky and onto the ground. And not a moment too soon, as the energy slammed onto his back on the way down, sending him to the ground too.

But he was still the victor, even if only by a bit.

" _Hah...Hah...Hey, not bad, Valdus! You've certainly gotten better since last time."_ Lunete rubbed her nose sheepishly. " _Or maybe I'm just out of practice, hehe."_

" _Aw, don't sell yourself short, you were awesome!"_ He raised a thumbs-up at her. " _Just gotta look out for my kung fury!"_

 _Dork alert!_

" _Hey!"_ Valdus frowned as he pulled up the mental image of his sister two floors up, who looked unrepentant for that little comment. In fact, judging by how she and Lucas were both giggling...Lucas was giggling?

 _Oh come on, did you broadcast that to Lucas too?!_

 _Innocent until proven guilty. Teehee._

 _Yeah, she did, Valdus!_

 _Wait— aah!_

Valdus had a smile on his face as he gave his twin sister the mental equivalent of a flick to the forehead. _Hah, you could never get in the way of our brotherly bond, dear sister!_

 _Mental brofist!_

Watching all of this unfold due to her acute mental hearing Lunete merely shrugged. " _Boys."_

"Well, that's all good and whatnot, but we came here to check on where the Phantom captives are." Lucas returned to speaking out loud for the benefit of Glenn, who had been watching the whole mental conversation go with an unimpressed look on his face.

" _Sleeping quarters,"_ Valdus pointed upwards. " _The others are there too."_

Glenn groaned in frustration. "Aw, come on! We just walked down and now we have to walk back up to do this?"

Instead of dignifying that with a proper answer, Lucas merely reopened the door. "Ladies first?" He asked, one hand presenting the open door.

The Callaghan heir was obviously very peeved at that particular comment. "Do you mock me, Valedin? I'll have you remember I graduated top of our class in the academy, and I've been involved in—"

Another peal of laughter stopped him short. "I was referring to Lunete."

The Swoobat in question flew through the doorway, leaving a sputtering Glenn to watch as Lucas and Valdus followed right after. To add insult to injury, by the time he finally regained his wits to walk, the door swung back, and scored a critical hit on his nose.

Grumbling all of the way up, he (and the other three) opened the door to the Pokémon sleeping quarters on the second floor to find a certain someone up to her usual antics.

" _And that's why I think I should get my master to rename me Yang, what with this and all,"_ Wisp held up her arm, which was still in the early stages of growing back. " _But Yang is so tacky, and I'm more of a Yin kind of pyromaniac anyways, you know? Or maybe I should call myself Dave Levey instead, but where the hell did that name come from I don't know."_

" _Hullo, sis, Vlad the Impaler."_ Art got up from his position on the floor to hug his sister. " _If you're wondering, we banned Wisp from using physical violence under threat of Gravity, so she's pleaded with us—successfully, I might add—to try and annoy the captives with her voice just so that she doesn't annoy us instead."_

Valdus scratched his head. " _It's...working? That's an interesting shade of red I've never seen a Vulpix in before."_

Sure enough, Talis was visibly paling as she tried her best to cover her ears with her paws. Her expression of pure agony worsened when Glenn came over and affectionately rubbed his Chandelure, and Wisp changed topics. " _See, this is my master, and he's the best person in the entire world and the only one I don't hate with a..._ _ **fiery**_ _passion!"_

Fang, on the other hand, appeared to have passed out long ago.

The Mawile sighed. " _Poor saps. They probably don't know that Wisp's voice ignores the conventional use of sound and just quantum tunnels into their mind."_

A horrified scream punctuated his sequitur, though it didn't come from the room, but the guest room down the hall. Immediately, the assembled group of Pokémon rushed down the hall, Aeon leading the charge. " _Valdus, Valerie, take the left; Wisp and Tabitha, take the right; Lunete and Art, you're with me on point. Suppress and disable any hostiles immediately, and ask questions later! Clear?"_

The resounding chorus of agreements ended as soon as they arrived. Entering the guest room, the Lairon wasted no time in breaking down the door to the bathroom. " _Put your hands in the air, and no one gets—"_

He stopped his speech midway when he realized the room was completely free of any new hostile presence.

Instead, he came across what appeared to be the scene of a once-peaceful bath, ruined by how the blonde lady in the middle of the room was now backing away from the two unconscious girls inside the _onsen_. Another blonde girl and a green-haired one were standing off to the side, shocked, though whether it was because of what just transpired or the sudden entrance of the Pokémon, he couldn't tell.

Aeon blinked, as his mind finally placed the identities of the women, and the owner of that scream to his blonde mistress. " _Taryn? What's going on?"_

The Iron Lady sheepishly put her hands up. "...I can explain everything."

* * *

It was quiet. The bedroom was peaceful.

It had taken quite a few dozen Casteliacones to convince Mae to quieten down after that frankly embarrassing escapade in the bathroom. But now she was safely tucked into bed, and sleeping the night away.

Or not.

No longer was she sleeping in the comfort of her bed, but Mae was now standing at Sprout Tower. Talis was by her side, though the Ninetales wasn't fully recognizable at first. She felt older, stronger, wiser...

She felt herself burn as the tower blew up in flames.

"Aah!"

Shooting up, Mae was instantly relieved to find herself in the small bed she had gone to sleep in the day before. Feeling her arms and legs to make sure they weren't charred pieces of flesh like her nightmare had made them out to be, she sighed. "All just a dream…"

"What's all just a dream?"

A light shriek escaped her lips as she remembered that she wasn't the only conscious one in the room. And as her gaze landed on the swathe of bandages that peeked out from under the white T-shirt, she couldn't help but think, _Oh no...why him?_

 _He's gonna take revenge on me for stabbing him, isn't he? When no one else is awake, he's going to make me suffer for-_

His voice once again broke the tense silence. "Easy, easy. I think I know what you're thinking, but trust me, I don't intend to hurt you."

Morgan watched as the girl's features softened, before hardening again. "Whatever." With a dismissive snort, Mae turned her head away, but didn't return to her pillow.

Truth be told, Mae was too afraid to go back to sleep again, not like she would admit it. That nightmare had been scarring, and she couldn't bear to see her longtime friend be lost, even if she didn't make it out alive.

The sound of trickling liquid extinguished that thought, and a cup was brought in front of her. "Drink this, it'll do you good."

Mae clasped it with both hands, and looked down. It felt warm, and it certainly looked warm, what with the little peals of smoke rising off the brim of the brown-coloured liquid. Tentatively, she took a sip—

 _Chocolate. Of course._

She finished the cup in record time, and as the rich, invigorating cocoa coursed through her, she felt a warmth tingle at her fingertips. Unlike the burning sensation of the flames, this felt...welcoming.

Returning the cup to its owner, Mae stared at the blond, who set it to one side before resuming what appeared to be the fluffing up of a new pillow.

"Here. I hope this will help you rest better. They say the more primped-up a pillow is, the less likely it will be for its user to get nightmares." Exchanging her original pillow for the new one, Morgan placed the original on the bed over, where he had originally taken the new one from.

The question was raised as he had expected. "Why are you doing this?"

"Pardon?" Brown met lilac as the two stared at each other; one in unbridled confusion, and the other in calm serenity.

"Why are you doing this…?" she repeated, still disbelieving, as her head fell onto the newly-primped pillow with a vengeance (and a soft _thump_ ).

He merely smiled back gently. "Because, rebel or not, no one, not even the worst of our kind, deserves to have a sleepless night." Bringing the blanket up to her shoulders, he asked in a soothing tone, "Comfortable?"

He took the silence as a yes. Seeing as how she clearly wasn't sleeping, however, he decided to resort to the same thing he did for his sister.

 _We'll walk towards the end of time,_

 _Sail all seven seas._

 _There's no mountain too high to climb,_

 _Just you and me._

Mae grimaced slightly. _A lullaby? Really?_ She had to admit though, it was pretty decent.

 _The journey may prove difficult,_

 _But even then we flee._

 _We'll find this land of miracles,_

 _Just you and me._

A yawn escaped her mouth. She really was getting sleepier. _Curse him...But his lullaby…_

The song continued, and as Morgan recounted a tale of might and magic, of bonds beyond time and space, and of a mission to discover a perfect world where everyone could live in peace, Mae compared that to the harsh reality of her situation.

That was why the song was just that—a lullaby. Something only sung to little kids at night just to assure them that there was still hope in the future for them to chase after, even when it had already long disappeared.

 _...Right?_

 _At last, utopia, that's the spot,_

 _An eternal glee._

 _We'll bask in the rewards we sought,_

 _Just you and me._

 _A utopia...with just me and Talis...I think I can see it now..._

 _A future bereft of conflict._

 _It is then I see._

 _This paradise is truly perfect…_

The light snoring was enough indication that the girl had fallen asleep like her senior, and Morgan's voice trailed off.

"Heh...They never let me finish that final lyric," he mused, before getting up carefully, and making his way over to his appointed chair. Leaning back on it once more, he poured another cup of hot chocolate from the flask he had prepared and resumed looking at the clock on the wall.

 _2.20...I should have woken Lynae up for her watch twenty minutes ago. Should I go wake her now then?_

 _Nah. Let her and the others sleep,_ he argued back internally, and the motion was passed.

The night passed without any more disturbances.

* * *

 **Phantom**

 _ **The Lucky Larcenist:**_ Hyde Carbuncle and Felicity (Espeon) — _ManCinoMan_

 _ **The Draconian Danger:**_ Brandon Hazard and Apollo (Garchomp) — _Universal Lord Genghis Khan_

 _ **The Hidden Huntress:**_ Tia Harmon and Fang (Poochyena) — _We're All Okay_

Mae and Talis (Vulpix) — _Skittlinq_

 **Crown**

 _ **The Astral Blade:**_ Morgan Lockwood, Lunete (Swoobat) and Art (Mawile) — _SDproductions_

 _ **The Parasol of Pain**_ _:_ Cordelia Noble and Tabitha (Audino) — _SDproductions_

 _ **The Viscount of Velvet City:**_ Glenn Callaghan and Wisp (Chandelure) — _emosewa13_

 _ **The Dancing Saber:**_ Lucas Valedin and Valdus (Gallade) — _TreblePlayer67_

 _ **The Mystical Maiden:**_ Lynae Valedin and Valerie (Gardevoir) — _TreblePlayer67_

 _ **The Iron Lady:**_ Taryn Riordan and Aeon (Lairon) — _Altomere_

* * *

 _A/N_ _:_

 _I'd like to take credit for that little lullaby._

 _And possibly creating another ship._

 _Also, a little extra, seeing as we_ _ **were**_ _on the topic of_ _Pokémon_ _as food._

 _ **SDproductions**_ _9:17 PM_

 _Togepi used Metronome!_

 _Togepi used Self-Destr uct!_

 _ **CrimsonSkyTamer**_ _9:17 PM_

 _Togepi got fried!_

 _ **SDproductions**_ _9:17 PM_

 _It's super delicious!_

 _(I take full responsibility for this idiocy. -Sky)_

 _Unfortunately, I have a sadder piece of news. Recently, I've taken on the quest of tumblr roleplaying, and as such, I will unlikely be working on PCC or any of my stories in a long time. But I have not given up on trying to make this a reality...Just, maybe not so soon._

 _To everyone who has kept up with me so far, I'm sorry. My impulsivity and bad decision-making skills has always been the bane of my existence, and I pick up things as quickly as I drop them. I just didn't find it fair to keep you all waiting for nothing, so I worked out this one last chapter to say goodbye...for now. But I know you all will go on to create some wonderful things in my absence._

 _Until then, go bug **CrimsonSkyTamer** for me, will you? I love her to death, but she has to upload a chapter aaaaaaaany day now. :3_

 _Until next time, however, this is SDproductions, signing off. Cheers._


End file.
